Star Wars: Hearts of the Fallen
by KyleeJainRidley
Summary: A story of the "lost years" of Ahsoka Tano, between "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels". In this story, Ahsoka, on the run from an increasingly-hostile Empire, confronts the darkest shadow in her heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars:**

 **Hearts of the Fallen**

Kylee Jain Ridley

* * *

Foreword

This is the first story in a cycle of Ahsoka Tano stories I am currently working on. This first story, "Hearts of the Fallen" begins a few years after Ahsoka walked away from the Jedi Order. The entirety of the cycle takes place between "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels", taking into account as much canon as possible. Caveat emptor: As it's still my story, I may take some licenses with things, but I will stay true to established history as much as I can.

You may find Ahsoka doing things you wouldn't think she'd do. She may swear occasionally. She may get romantically involved with someone. Remember; she's no longer a Jedi. She's someone on the run from an increasingly hostile Empire, as well as an insanely powerful former master with a bone to pick with the Jedi. I ask only that you read without prejudice. It's all going somewhere, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Now, kick back, relax, and enjoy the story not told, the story of Ahsoka Tano's journey.

* * *

The dust settled from the air silently as the small figure sat, unmoving. Eyes closed, unbreathing, the figure seemed to be trying to not exist. It was unlikely that anyone would stumble upon them here, however, as the cool, dry room sat in the very lowest levels of the auricite mine here on Praxigor VI, a mine that had sat abandoned since the fall of the Republic. Though it was but a few years prior, it seemed an eternity to the lithe, wiry individual. It was an event she would not forget; indeed, the horrors wrought by the new Empire only served to remind her of her ultimate failure.

It seemed forever ago, really, that she was under the tutelage of the famed Jedi, Anakin Skywalker. She was, in fact, both his first and final pupil. It wasn't long after she had walked away from the order that he'd fallen under the sway of Sheev Palpatine, who had been the terrible Sith Lord Darth Sidious all along. In the place of the good-hearted yet ill-tempered young Jedi, there now was a horrible blight on the face of the galaxy, a blight that now consumed all it once held dear. Where once had stood a brave and true Jedi Knight now was a cybernetic monstrosity, and his name was Darth Vader. So much had changed in such a short time that she hadn't really had a chance to process it all, and so once Ahsoka Tano walked away from the Jedi Order, she walked away from the galaxy at large.

Ahsoka had arranged passage on a few freighters, as far away from the core of the galaxy as she could get. She'd had to resort to some of the old mind tricks to keep her cover intact, and was in no way pleased with herself about that. Making the break from the Jedi Order was going to be much harder than she'd originally thought, but her hopes were that once she reached the Outer Rim, she could just disappear. Several worlds supported large populations of Togruta, primarily ones fleeing the newly-born Empire. Her hope, however futile it might be, was to just blend in, vanish, and let Ahsoka Tano cease to exist.

At least, that was her hope until Praxigor VI. Upon reaching that world, the crew of the tramp freighter she'd been travelling in tried to turn her in to bounty hunters. She'd had to get violent at that point, though the bounty hunters weren't exactly of the caliber she'd dealt with before. It's not like the more infamous hunters like Cad Bane or Asajj Ventress were after her, at least this time. She resolved herself to keep silent and invisible, and try and live out the rest of her days in relative peace.

Praxigor VI was a planet that was firmly under the thumb of the Hutts. Though several families squabbled over the scraps, there was no doubt at all that the Desilijic kajidic sat at the master's table, and it's scion, Jabba, at the place of dominion. Ahsoka knew that she would be more safe here than on other worlds, as the Hutts cared little for the Empire, and she also knew that Jabba owed her a favor, having saved his offspring Rotta from an extremely convoluted plot involving Jabba's kinsman Ziro. Ahsoka simply asked of the Hutt that he forget she was on this world, and in return, she would never remind him of this. Jabba did not enjoy owing anyone anything, and agreed to her terms.

Resigned to living a life of hermitage in the cesspools of the Hutts, Ahsoka came to think of Praxigor VI as her home. She was nondescript enough as an adult to not draw much attention. She kept herself in as good physical condition as she could without making herself noticeable. She was lithe without being overly athletic. Though she was clearly female, she dressed in worn-out, baggy clothing, like every other inhabitant of this world not directly connected to the Hutts. One more Togruta meant nothing to the everyday folk, and the Hutts themselves turned a blind eye, those who even knew of her at all. It wasn't in any way ideal, but it was safe, and it was away from the cancerous spread of the Empire.

Word had filtered down to Praxigor VI that the Jedi had been massacred by Darth Vader, and Ahsoka had lamented, not only for her former brethren, but for her lost master. She knew that once he'd headed down the road to damnation, he would commit to it wholeheartedly, and the person she'd known, that brave soul, would be lost forever. Some even said that behind that black mask of death, he'd even enjoyed slaughtering his former comrades. She'd heard whispers of how he'd become far more powerful than he'd been as a Jedi, and how he could kill someone just by looking at them. It was as she'd feared, and all the more reason for her to stay hidden in the dubious embrace of the Hutts; if Vader knew she still lived, she suspected he'd hunt her without mercy. She, after all, was one of the last connections that existed to his previous life.

The idea of a dangerously obsessed, and overwhelmingly powerful Sith lord hunting her was not one that Ahsoka relished. Though she felt a degree of responsibility for her fallen master, she knew returning now would gain her nothing but execution. So she remained hidden, living a simple life. In a way, she enjoyed the simplicity of her existence now, even if her world wasn't the best-smelling. She had come to fit in well with the small village she'd settled in, friendly enough to not seem suspicious, but not being overly gregarious as to be the talk of the town. She could never forget that her life was a tightrope walk now, and one misstep meant discovery.

Meditation wasn't coming easy these days. She constantly did all in her power to mask her Force-sensitivity, and it was a battle of wills to keep from using her skills to help people in need in the small, ramshackle village she lived in. When Hutt enforcers would come to rough up a local, or when a disease would come through, Ahsoka could not act. As far as she was concerned, her skills were no longer her skills to use. She'd turned her back on the Jedi, and the Jedi had been obliterated. In no way was she willing to be known as the last Jedi. Such a thing would mark her for death. No, even if someone had to get beaten up, or fall seriously ill, Ahsoka could not chance using her influence over the Force. She would resort to more mundane methods of assisting, when she could, and it seemed to be enough to make things a little easier for the villagers. If it was all she could do, at least she could do that much.

Her focus was shattered for the day, and she relented. It was dark in the mine, cool and dry. Her senses were sharp without using the Force to augment them, and it was easy enough to find her way out of the twisting tunnels of the abandoned mine. A few minutes stride from the mine, and she was back at home, her small shack seeming much smaller than usual today.

"Nakira!" A familiar voice called out from next door. Sure enough, from the door scuttled the squat little Rodian who often greeted her in the morning, Teega. Teega was the town busybody, always doing something, which often involved sticking her snout into business that didn't pertain to her. Ahsoka had found her pleasant enough, in small doses, but tried to minimize the time spent chatting. This put her alongside every other person in town, going out of their way to keep Teega face-time to a minimum.

"Nakira! Good morning! Oh, have I things to tell you! Do you remember me telling you about my son, Noggo, how he took a job working for 'Great Jabba'? Well, do I have a story for you! It turns out that…"

"Good morning, Teega, but I am in a bit of a hurry here," Ahsoka chimed, as she kept walking in the door. "Catch me up later, alright? Sounds like Noggo may have gotten himself into a little trouble!"

"Oh, you have no idea, Nakira, really! That Noggo, he means well, but he's not the brightest star in the sky, you know? I'll talk to you later!" Teega seemed to take the hint, and shuffled back into her house. Ahsoka shut the door gently, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Teega also meant well, but her discussions were both interminable and painfully one-sided.

Ahsoka walked over to the small cot that served as a bed. She laid upon it with a thump, her head appendages splaying out around her. She had accepted that this was her lot, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. She had gotten used to a life of learning, of hard work and study, but most of all, a life of cleanliness. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had a bath. She'd long ago accepted that the stink was part of the deal on Praxigor VI, but once in a while it got to her. It was an annoyance, but a persistent one. Ahsoka did not deal well with persistent annoyances these days.

Surely Master Kenobi would advise her to find calm, and she would have loved to have been able to do so, as surely as Master Kenobi would have enjoyed remaining alive. He hadn't, at least to her knowledge, and she couldn't. So she remained there, in the stink and filth, alone on a Hutt world, hiding out the last of her days incognito.

"So much for the big promises of the Jedi," Ahsoka mumbled to herself. It was true, after all, that when she was taken from her family in her early youth, the Order had filled her parents' minds with images of great, glorious victory over evil, of helping the poor, sick and oppressed, that their daughter would amount to such wondrous things, that they could scarcely conceive of it. Now, at this point in her life, Ahsoka couldn't even remember the faces or voices of her parents, and she had to assume that they had met their end once the Empire had started purging the Jedi from the galaxy. Perhaps in a vain attempt to flush her out, they'd captured, tortured and possibly killed her family. She didn't put it past Palpatine and Vader to do so, but she felt that if they had, she would have known. Her connection to the Living Force was tenuous at best these days, but had they harmed her family, surely she would have sensed it. That knowledge alone kept her from breaking her silence, for if her family still lived, they would only remain safe if the Empire felt that she was destroyed along with the rest of the Jedi.

Ahsoka found herself far more tired than she'd first realized, and, not caring to remain awake any longer, she found herself drifting off into sleep. There was a bit of a murmur outside her house, but nothing unusual. Her eyes closed and she fell fast asleep.

In the haze of her dream, she stood alone in the center of a vast room. She was holding her old lightsabers, both ignited and ready for battle. From behind her, a terrible mechanical sound came, a sound like a perverse sort of breathing. She could hear the hum of a third lightsaber, and she knew what this meant.

"I have found you at last, Ahsoka Tano." A deep voice boomed from the darkness. She didn't recognize the voice, but the cadence was unmistakable. Darth Vader had found her, and now she had only two choices: run or fight. "You should have known there was nowhere in the galaxy that you could escape me."

"You don't have to do this, Anakin." Ahsoka knew that Vader would not react well to that name, but it was the only advantage she had. She hoped that if she were to enrage Vader, he would make an error and she would be able to escape. Anakin had done it before, but Ahsoka reminded herself that this monstrosity wasn't Anakin any more.

Vader extended his hand towards her, and balled it into a fist. Ahsoka felt an iron grip crush down on her throat, threatening to strangle the life out of her. Vader was infamous for this; he had a tendency to use the Force to kill anyone who irritated him. "You are a fool, Ahsoka. Just as Anakin Skywalker was a fool. I am different. I am the one who has defeated all who opposed him." He balled his fist tighter, and the grip on her throat increased. Vader walked around her as she wriggled, struggling to escape an inescapable grip. "It is unfortunate that we meet like this," and then, mockingly, "Snips."

"You…have no….right to….call me that. Only…Anakin…" How she managed to get even those few words out, she didn't know. She fought with all her will against the power brought to bear against her.

Vader stopped walking as he got in front of her, his monstrous black form towering over her even as an adult. He leaned in close, the rounded "eyes" of his mask seeming to peer into her mind. "It is not too late, Ahsoka. Can you feel the power of the Dark Side? We need not be enemies. Join me, Ahsoka, and I can once again train you, only this time, I can show you real power."

Ahsoka stopped writhing. For a moment, she considered the offer. After all, it would put an end to this damnable hiding. Perhaps, given time, she could bring Anakin back to the Light. Besides, it wasn't like she owed the Jedi anything. They, who claimed to be the champions of the Light, betrayed her and threw her to the wolves. Maybe she could make a real difference now, fight alongside her old master again, bringing order to the chaos.

Ahsoka then realized how insane that sounded. Vader had massacred the Jedi, and he'd come to kill her as well. The idea filled her with such rage, that she wanted to rip that hideous mask off of him, and plunge the blade into his skull.

"Yes, Ahsoka. Your hatred makes you strong. Do you not see now? Peace is a lie, Ahsoka. Only through power can this war be won. WE have the power to end this conflict. We have the power…to overthrow Palpatine."

Vader relaxed his hand, and Ahsoka slumped to the ground, barely conscious. "The Emperor has become mad with power, Ahsoka, and I have need of someone I can trust to assist me in defeating him." Vader clicked off his lightsaber, and hung it on his belt. "You know full well that we have worked well together, Ahsoka. We can again. The Emperor must fall, Ahsoka. You can help me accomplish this goal."

Ahsoka lifted her head up, looking directly at the towering Vader. "Why would you betray your master? Again, I mean." If he had any reaction to the question, the expressionless mask kept it well hidden from her, but Ahsoka could almost feel the smirk that surely was on Vader's face.

"Look at me, Ahsoka. The Emperor made me into this…this machine! It kept me alive, yes, but what sort of life is this? To live knowing I can never touch another person. To never see someone with my own eyes again. It is TORMENT, Ahsoka. After Obi-wan left me to die on Mustafar, the Emperor was free to mold me into his hunting dog."

Ahsoka perked up at the mention of Obi-wan Kenobi. Perhaps she would be able to find out his ultimate fate if she could keep Vader talking. Surely, if anyone could have escaped, it would be Obi-wan and Master Yoda. "Left you to die? What are you talking about?"

A grating scoff came from the vocal modulator in Vader's mask. This time, Ahsoka knew the smirk was there. "Of course you did not know. You had disappeared long before that occurred. The Emperor had sent me to deal with the Separatists who had holed up on Mustafar. I arrived and dealt with the problem, as instructed. And then…Padme arrived. She had come with Kenobi with the intent to destroy me. All the power I possessed then, I unleashed upon them both. She…I killed. He…"

Vader turned away from the Togruta. "He got a lucky hit and maimed me. I fell into a pit near a pool of magma, and the heat caught me on fire. The Emperor arrived in time to save my life, but at a cost far too dear to ever be worth it. I will live, sealed in this walking tomb for my entire life. I will never again see the suns of Tatooine with my own eyes."

He turned back to her, and Ahsoka could almost see the fire in his eyes from behind the mask. She'd heard stories of how the touch of the Dark Side could change the eyes of the one who falls. She imagined his eyes were quite yellow right now. She could feel the rage, hate and anguish radiate from him like heat from a flame. "And that rage, that righteous indignation, gives me power beyond anyone's dreams. I am stronger even than the Emperor. With you at my side, Ahsoka, we can destroy all those who oppose us. We can destroy even the Emperor himself!"

Ahsoka climbed to her feet, cautiously biding her time. She wasn't sure this was a dream any more. If it really was Vader, and he really knew she still lived, then it was really only a matter of time. She did, however, have a new option from which to choose. She could turn, as he so zealously advocated. It would mean an end to the running and hiding, and an end to the inane prattling of Teega, and most of all an end to depending on the good graces of Jabba the Hutt for her very survival.

It made sense. It was logical to her. All she would have to do was agree to once again become his apprentice. She would be made more powerful than she had ever before been. They could then overthrow Palpatine once and for all, and make the galaxy safe from the Sith once more.

"It's tempting. I mean, I know what you are capable of. I've seen you fight, and I imagine you've only grown more powerful. But why do you fight? What do you fight for?" Ahsoka wasn't sure where she was going with this line of questioning. Maybe she was just stalling for time. All she knew was that she was filled with rage, hate and dread, and that Vader knew it. She was ripe for the harvest, the harvest of the Dark Side.

"I fight because I must. I fight to become stronger, more powerful. As you have fought, Ahsoka, while you fled from me. You need not run any longer." Vader held his left hand out to Ahsoka, intending for her to take it.

In that moment, Ahsoka thought over everything she had learned as a Padawan. She knew, deep in her heart, that Vader was something completely different than the Jedi Knight whom had instructed her. She knew that he practically pulsed with the power of the Dark Side of the Force, power she was taught from an early age to eschew and shun.

Just not this time.

Ahsoka stood to her feet, and took the hand extended to her.

"I am ready to train with you again...my master."


	2. Chapter 2

Ahsoka awoke with a start, her eyes wider than normal as she came abruptly out of the dream. Was it possible that all that had been just a dream? Did she really make a new pact with Darth Vader? Most importantly of all, did she actually give herself over to the Dark Side of the Force? She found herself confused, as there was nothing but uncertainty now where she'd felt such conviction just mere moments before.

Ahsoka knew that the things Vader had told her were true. Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, had to be stopped. She knew Vader could make her stronger than she was, and she knew he was willing to instruct her as he had before. Assuming she'd had communion with him through the Force, and that it wasn't just a dream, Ahsoka knew that soon enough, Vader would come to claim her, and she had to be ready. First, she had to extricate herself out of her deal with the Hutts, which would be a messy endeavor on the best of days.

In fact, she expected things to get violent. Of course, she would never get anywhere near Jabba himself, but any of his lackeys that stood in her path would definitely wish they hadn't. Jabba rarely left his palace on Tatooine, and never left the planet itself, preferring to isolate himself even from his own kind. It meant that she'd never have to fight the Hutt directly, but that he could send wave after wave of thugs, assassins and bounty hunters after her, almost indefinitely, until he brought her to ground. No, this time, Ahsoka needed a more effective display of her breaking the deal. She just wasn't sure of how it was going to come to pass.

Not sure, of course, until a mere two days later. She'd been coming home from another day of scrounging in the pits for old components, helping out some friends of hers in the village, when Teega came practically sprinting out of her little shack. "NAKIRA! Oh, thank the stars I found you in time!"

Ahsoka, curious as to what would perturb the pudgy little Rodian so much, couldn't help but to ask. "Teega, WHAT is going on?"

Teega, panting heavily, took a second to catch her breath before continuing. "Word's come down from the upper city. One of Jabba's head goons is coming to town. Bib Fortuna, he's called. That can't mean anything good, if one of Jabba's inner circle is coming all the way out here, no?"

Ahsoka fought back a wicked grin. It was perfect; if Bib Fortuna was going to be on Praxigor VI, even if he stuck to the safer confines of the upper city, a pleasure palace constructed above the stench and filth of the lower villages, it would be relatively simple to enter the facility, and even easier to get to the bloated old Twi'lek. Bib Fortuna's reputation was well known to Ahsoka, and his craving for women and money were easy enough to exploit.

However, Ahsoka paused for a moment. She was unsure of what was to come. After all, not all that long ago, she'd pledged herself to the Jedi, and to serving the Light. What she'd have to do to Fortuna wasn't the work of a Jedi, or even someone just trying to walk on the side of the Light. Could she actually attack someone who was, for all intents and purposes, an innocent?

Ahsoka shook her head in disgust. Bib Fortuna wasn't innocent in the slightest. As an agent of the loathsome Jabba the Hutt, he was as much a criminal as his slimy master. Punishing a criminal, and using that punishment to punish even bigger criminals didn't seem like such a bad thing. Surely the Force would heed her call as readily when she decided to strike.

And strike she would. Ahsoka's mind was made up, and she knew that to escape this miserable cesspool of a planet, Bib Fortuna would have to face the wrath of one who had tired of running and hiding, and decided it was time to fight. She was angry at the lot she'd been handed, simply by being born different from the rest, and she was no longer interested in passively watching the galaxy pass by her. That anger surged through her mind like a wildfire, searing her senses. Now that she'd made up her mind to turn away entirely from the teachings of the hypocritical Jedi, she wasn't afraid to let herself FEEL that anger. She felt, in that moment of revelation, her own strength, and it was formidable. Years of running, hunting, constantly training her body and mind had honed her to a razor's edge. Now, she would be tempered in the fires of her own emotions.

 _Peace is a lie, Ahsoka. There is only passion._

The voice, that of Darth Vader, echoed in the back of her mind. It comforted her, in a strange way. She took courage in the knowledge that her meeting with Vader hadn't been a dream, at least not completely.

 _Through passion, you will gain strength. Through strength, you will gain power. Through power, you will gain victory. Through victory, your chains shall be broken. The Force shall sustain you._

Vader's conviction emboldened the young Togruta further, a wicked smile crossing her lips. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up into the glittering towers above, where the Hutts and their minions gambled, feasted, and debauched themselves. Today, she would take her first steps on a new journey, and Ahsoka Tano would never know fear again. Today, Ahsoka Tano would be unstoppable.

Far above the stinking villages of rabble, Bib Fortuna relaxed in his spacious suite. His guests, mostly business associates and hired thugs, all enjoyed the accoutrements that a majordomo of the mightiest of the Hutt clan possessed. He wasn't overly fond of travel, preferring the solitude and safety of his master's palace, but when he had to leave Tatooine on Jabba's behest, he was glad to know that where he would end up going always had the facilities needed for proper debauchery. Sitting at the head of the large dining table, surrounded by representatives of other Hutt families, he felt right at home in the palaces of power and commerce, serving Jabba well and being well-rewarded for that service. He'd been in the employ of the Hutt for many years now, and at times, it even seemed like the Hutt almost respected him. High praise indeed, coming from the most prominent of a race of megalomaniacs.

Gesturing to a scantily-clad Twi'lek girl across the room, he barked a command in the Hutt's language. Bib was perfectly capable of speaking other languages, of course, but his speaking only Huttese during the conducting of business showed the supremacy of the Hutts, and the loyalty of their servants. The girl, with no hesitation, swiftly walked over to the older Twi'lek, and bowed low. Bib snarled at the girl for her lateness, and motioned towards his lekku, the tail-like appendages sprouting from his head. "They are very dry, bitch. Fix that, immediately!" Bib snarled at the girl in the Twi'leks' tongue. He knew the girl likely couldn't speak much beyond her native language, and if she was to serve him properly, he had to make sure she understood what he wanted. Females irritated Bib Fortuna when they tried to act like they were his equals. They could never be equal to him. He staunchly believed that if you couldn't be king, the next best thing was to work for the king. That was Bib Fortuna summed up succinctly.

The girl, a light blue in tone, picked up a jar of a foul-smelling unguent that sat on the table next to Bib. Taking a small dollop in her hands, she rubbed her hands together, and then set to work rubbing the disgusting goo on the old Twi'lek's lekku. Bib barely repressed a smile of unbridled glee as the girl, barely an adult of the species, applied the unguent, rubbing slowly, gently, just the way he liked it to be done. He'd trained this one well, as he always did, to give him just the right amount of pleasure in just the right place. The lekku, as they were wired into the nervous system of the Twi'lek, were highly sensitive and extremely erogenous structures of the Twi'lek body, and to massage them properly was a sensual delight that Bib Fortuna enjoyed thoroughly. The girl, whom Bib had owned since she was gifted to him by his Hutt master, was trained to properly serve him. She was also severely punished if she failed to serve him in the ways he commanded. Bib Fortuna didn't play around with playtime.

The older Twi'lek let out a low murmur of pleasure as the girl massaged his lekku. He could feel her shiver briefly as he did, and this pleased him. It always made him smile when he knew she detested him, but still did what she was told. This was how Bib Fortuna liked his servants to be, and how he wished his associates would be as well.

Today had been a long day of negotiations with the servants of Vargora, a Hutt of a rival family. Vargora's desire to have a stake in Praxigor VI was well-known, as the aurium deposits on this world were unparalleled in the galaxy. Jabba had kept his mining operations as quiet as he could, getting richer with every passing day, but once word got out, other Hutt families clamored to get a taste of the action. It was left to Bib Fortuna to negotiate the deals with the respective Hutt familes that would distribute what little Jabba was willing to give to them, in his great beneficence, of course. Days-long negotiations always made Bib incredibly tense, so a good lekku massage always got him back in the game.

The girl, not paying proper attention, squeezed the end of one of Bib's lekku just a little too hard, and before she could react, a heavy backhand connected with her face. She flew backwards, away from her angry master, and fell to the ground with a hard thud. Bib Fortuna, his face now a pinkish hue instead of the normal pasty white, scowled furiously. "Stupid slut! You DARE disrupt these proceedings with your incompetence? You will be made to suffer….most exquisitely. Take her!" Bib gestured to the two Gamorreans that guarded the door, their porcine snuffling accentuating their movements. The two gigantic pig-like creatures grabbed the girl off the floor, and dragged her out of the room. The girl, had she been conscious, would have known where she was going, and would have fought as hard as she could to not go. In Bib Fortuna's ship, there was a massive, reinforced cage that contained Bib's most favored pet, the monstrous womp rat he named 'Snoogy'. When the girl, as did her predecessors, failed in their service to the old majordomo, they were thrown in with the beast for a while. The womp rat enjoyed playing with its food, and its games were always sadistic. Bib turned back to the others at the table, a wan smile exposing his hideous teeth. "Now, gentlemen, shall we then finish our business?"

The Gamorreans dragged the girl towards the landing pad where Bib Fortuna's ship sat. The girl had come to on the way, and was struggling desperately, trying to get away from the huge guards. Screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing like a hooked fish, she knew what awaited her if she was dragged into the ship. She could not let that happen, because it would surely mean her death. Bib Fortuna didn't really take very good care of his playthings, and she was frail from starvation. She'd never completely gotten used to this life, having been sold from one owner to another several times over her short lifetime, and she lamented being born to parents who'd consider selling her a viable option. The Gamorreans, difficult to understand at times, seemed to be laughing as she struggled, though she was no expert at interpreting their snorts, grunts and wheezes. The bigger one, the one that Bib Fortuna referred to as 'Beast', threw her against the closed hatch that led into the ship with a triumphant snort, and she crashed to the ground, her head spinning. Suddenly, she heard an unfamiliar sound, a sound like electricity crackling, and the Gamorrean fell silent. Her vision was blurry, but it looked like something big and dark fell from above, from where Beast stood, and a larger shaped slumped to the ground. Her eyes refocused, and she saw that the large Gamorrean had been beheaded, and the assassin was a young Togruta woman, her lightsabers ignited, and a look of rage in her eyes. The Togruta walked over to her, looking down at her with concern, and the Twi'lek faded into blackness, unconsciousness claiming her at last.

Ahsoka stood over the crumpled body of the young Twi'lek girl. With one clean swipe of both her blades, she'd cleaved the Gamorrean's head from its stump of a neck. She felt the rage wash over her like a cleansing wave of water, making her feel stronger and more in control. She'd become infuriated when she saw the large pig-men throwing the girl around like a child's toy. Ahsoka had taken what little Vader had imparted on her to heart, and used her anger, her loathing for the beasts, as a means of driving her abilities stronger than ever before, and was able to best the two Gamorreans with ease. The smaller one had seen her coming, and was terrified at her approach. She couldn't deny that she'd found a small amount of pleasure in knowing that the creature feared her. It certainly was right to fear her; she'd executed it with all speed, surgically removing its arms first, and then its head once it realized what had happened. The bigger one, the one that was hurting the girl, had never even known she was there.

This was power! This is what liars like Yoda and Kenobi would have kept from her. This feeling, this raw might, was the very reason why her master, then Anakin Skywalker, had abandoned the Jedi, and taken up with the Sith Lord Sidious. It all made perfect sense to her now. She was fully in command of her abilities, and had full access to the emotions that drove those abilities. She felt so much more complete than she had as a Jedi, and this was only the beginning of her journey into the Dark Side. The Jedi were fools and liars, and the power of the Dark Side just felt….right.

Ahsoka knelt down to examine the young Twi'lek girl. She'd been bruised quite heavily, and there were small lacerations all over her. She could only imagine what fate had been in store for a nearly-naked Twi'lek girl in the hands of Gamorreans. Reaching out with the Force, Ahsoka looked at the girl with the healing sight, one of the few tricks she'd still practiced that the Jedi had taught her. They might have been liars and hypocrites, but they knew how to heal people properly. The girl was breathing, albeit with very shallow breaths. Her ribs were fractured in a few places, and she'd been seriously concussed. All in all, there were many places damaged but none so badly as to truly threaten the Twi'lek's life. Ahsoka moved the Force through the girl, making it mend the girl's slender form. Ahsoka watched as the wounds on the girl's body healed, and her breathing became more regular. After a moment, the girl's eyes blinked open, and she looked up at Ahsoka with a puzzled expression.

"You're safe. My name is Ahsoka, and I'm here to deal with a criminal. I'm guessing these…" She gestured over to the large lumps of inert, green flesh. "…were thugs working for Jabba's servant." The Twi'lek nodded slowly, still not understanding fully what was going on. "Do you have somewhere you can go? Somewhere you can hide for a while?" The Twi'lek slowly shook her head, as she had nowhere she could hide. She'd only ever known her place at the feet of whatever master she served. To rebel, to escape; these were unthinkable. Ahsoka's brow furled a bit at that, but she couldn't leave the girl near two dead Gamorreans. Jabba's minions would find them in time, and she'd surely be executed. Ahsoka bit her lip slightly, and then started to lift the girl off of the ground. "Come on, I can't leave you here. It's best if you're long gone when they find your ex-friends." With the Force empowering her movements, Ahsoka leapt off into the dusk with the girl in tow.

Her movements through the buildings and garbage heaps were silent and swift as Ahsoka strode back to her village. She was astounded at how nimble she really could be if she wanted to be. She'd been held back from a lot of things, she surmised, as the Jedi wouldn't have wanted her to be able to work like this. Her emotions, her passions, could drive her to be better, faster, stronger than she'd ever been. Ahsoka couldn't figure out why they would deny even themselves this sort of power, but really had no interest on dwelling on the subject. It was her passenger, this young Twi'lek, that was her focus right now.

Clearly, the girl was some sort of slave. Very likely, she was the property of Bib Fortuna himself, as young, attractive Twi'lek girls were something of a status symbol amongst the criminal elements of the galaxy. If that was the case, likely he would want his property back. Ahsoka could use that to lure him out, and once in the open, the Hutt's minion would be hers for the taking. Ahsoka could tell, though, that the girl had been abused, and this thought darkened her mood considerably. Being female herself, she'd always hated being treated as second-class. Though the Jedi had not really shown any real gender prejudice, everyone else in the galaxy didn't have such an egalitarian point of view. She'd seen what people were really like in the darkness of Coruscant's lower city, and in the stench-ridden villages of Praxigor VI. People were cruel, selfish, and arrogant. They clung to their own prejudices like mynocks clung to a hull.

Ahsoka would teach them a better way. Starting with this girl, she would make a better galaxy, a galaxy where people could really be free. One day, at Vader's side, they would defeat the Emperor himself, and finally bring a lasting peace to the galaxy. Such grandiose goals would have to wait, however; Ahsoka had to deal with the girl first.

Ahsoka carried the girl into her small shack, closing the door with a nudge of the Force. She was fairly sure the neighbors had seen her do it, and she cared little for that. It was all the better that they think her Jedi, or even Sith, even though she really was neither. A display of power would generate fear of her, and that would serve her purposes for now. Ahsoka laid the girl upon her cot, doing her best to make the girl comfortable as she recuperated.

"Why do you help me?" the Twi'lek asked. "I am not anyone worth getting in trouble for."

Ahsoka gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Anyone who's in danger is worth it. Every time." Ahsoka walked over to the small fireplace, where a guttering fire warmed some decent-smelling soup that she'd thrown together with what bits and pieces of edible things she'd had. "What's your name? I realize that we've just met and all, but I would rather call you by a name than by 'You'."

"E…Enuma. I think. No one ever calls me that, but I tell myself that is my name a few times a day, so I don't forget."

Ahsoka frowned at the thought. This poor girl had been so abused, so mistreated, that she had to make a special effort to just remember she had a name. It was all the better that she'd gotten Enuma away from those monsters. Once she was sure that Enuma was going to be alright, Ahsoka was going to teach Bib Fortuna a very, very nasty lesson, one that he would have no difficulty understanding.

"You could be in danger. If Master decides to send his men to collect me, they might hurt you." Enuma sounded genuinely concerned. Ahsoka raged quietly inside at the way the girl showed how many scars she'd been given in the 'tender' care of the Hutts, but she held that rage in check, knowing she'd have many more uses for it later. For now, she just worried about tending to Enuma's care.

"Your 'master's' men don't concern me, Enuma. I will protect you. I swear to you, none of them will ever hurt you again."

Enuma's eyes lit up. "You are…Jedi?"

Ahsoka reacted to that question in a way she'd not have expected; she laughed. Not a laugh of mockery at Enuma's naivete, but one of genuine humor. "No, I'm not a Jedi. I'm just...me. My name is Ahsoka."

Enuma smiled for the first time since Ahsoka had known of her existence, and Ahsoka was cheered by that small expression. "Master Fortuna would have killed me, Ahsoka. I thank you for helping me, but you are surely in danger now. Master Fortuna acts with all the power of Great Jabba's name behind him, and nothing will stop him if he wishes to reclaim his property."

Ahsoka's blood boiled at Enuma referring to herself as 'property'. She knew that it would be a long road of recovery for the poor Twi'lek girl, since clearly she'd been a slave most of her life. It was getting harder and harder for Ahsoka to keep her anger under control, but Enuma had already been through far too much already for Ahsoka to terrify her further with a display of Force-enhanced rage. Ahsoka instead focused her attention fully on the simmering stew, stirring gently, allowing her mind to calm itself a bit. It might not have gained Darth Vader's approval, but Ahsoka felt a sense of protectiveness for Enuma, and she would not put the Twi'lek in danger.

Ahsoka served the stew in bowls carved from the shells of a local crustacean. The stormcrabs hadn't taken kindly to losing their shells, and Ahsoka could still feel the sting of the high-voltage shock the large creatures could dole out to unwary predators. Enuma devoured every bite put in front of her, and Ahsoka's fears about her treatment were confirmed. Bib Fortuna had beaten, starved, and abused this poor girl, and to see such horror made Ahsoka's blood scream with hatred for the bloated old Twi'lek. She would have the monster's lekku mounted on a wall plaque after she tore them away from his body with her bare hands.

Ahsoka halted for a moment, startled by the amount of sheer, unrepressed rage she was feeling. Had Vader corrupted her already, making her into a willing pawn of the Dark Side? In truth, she didn't think so. The rage had always been there when she was faced with the victims of abuse and violence. It was really only a matter of what she did with that rage, and in the past she'd only repressed it, contained it, and hoped nothing pushed her over the edge.

This time, however, would be different. Bib Fortuna, and his grotesque master, would learn a very painful lesson indeed, and she would be the one to teach them.

 _Unleash your hatred, Ahsoka! Let it fight FOR you instead of AGAINST you! Strike out with every bit of rage, pain and anger you feel! Let it drive you forward, and embolden you!_

 _As you command, my master._


	3. Chapter 3

Night had fallen over the upper city, the realm of privilege and power. The gleam of metal and glass gave way to the shimmer and twinkle of the city's lights, a constantly shifting display of advertisements, news broadcasts, and assorted decoration. The Hutt-run casinos especially were a show unto themselves, enticing the foolish and affluent to come inside and spend a fortune. Many who entered these casinos came out destitute. Some never came out at all. Everyone believes in luck until they enter a casino run by the Hutts.

No one believes in it afterwards.

Ahsoka didn't believe in luck either, though she found herself wishing that she possessed some good luck, considering the insane plan she was formulating. Atop a taller tower, leaning against a small metal railing meant more for decoration than for supporting one's self, Ahsoka surveyed the territory. She had an idea of which structure Bib Fortuna was in, having rescued Enuma from the landing pad of one of the massive executive buildings. Getting in to the structure was a dangerous prospect, one she knew would be impossible for anyone not trained in the use of the Force. Unfortunately, the Jedi had never bothered to train her in methods of stealth and obfuscation through the Force, so she would have to rely on her acrobatic skills to get her through the innumerable security systems and veritable legions of thugs that the paranoid Hutts always seemed to have in their employ. She found herself wishing that Darth Vader had had the opportunity to actually train her, for she was certain that Vader could walk leisurely into the Hutt compound and demolish what, or who, he wished to. Some whispers claimed that he didn't even need to walk in, and that he could kill someone even from an orbiting ship. Ahsoka found these rumors chilling, even without needing to fear him. She was fairly sure he wasn't going to hunt her any longer, but for one person to have such power, such godlike power, was disturbing to anyone but the most unbalanced of minds.

At first glance, Ahsoka's plan was simple. Enter the building, evade all the security systems, elude the hordes of droids and hired thugs, and get to the inner sanctum where she would find Jabba's right hand, and then cut him to ribbons as both a punishment for Bib's treatment of Enuma and a message to Jabba himself. Then, once that was done, somehow she would escape unscathed and undetected into the night, where she would disappear from the awareness of the Hutt clans entirely.

Simple. Perfectly simple. Not to mention completely suicidal.

Ahsoka, never the tactical genius despite holding a military rank of commander, tried to come up with a plan that was a little less the work of a madwoman, but there really was no alternative besides perhaps finding an air duct that she could possibly squeeze through and take her chances navigating an unknown ventilation system that could lead to Bib Fortuna. It more likely would lead to an enormous fan, as these things often tended to do. No, the frontal assault was her only real choice.

Calling upon the Force to enhance her strength and agility, she leapt from the top of the building. She flew through the air silently as she rocketed towards the lower landing platform, several hundred meters away. She landed almost as quietly on the landing platform, crouching low as she landed to absorb the shock of the landing. She looked around quickly, and sensing no one nearby, she proceeded to approach the massive door that led into the building.

Ahsoka was surprised to find that Fortuna hadn't posted guards around the platform. Surely he'd determined by now that his pet Gamorreans had met a particularly sticky end, so it made little sense to leave an access point unguarded.

Unless, of course, you're baiting a trap.

Blaster fire erupted from nearby structures that Ahsoka had completely ignored. Several bolts exploded near her feet, but she deftly avoided them. With one smooth motion, she grabbed both lightsabers from her belt, ignited them, and deflected the next volley away from her. She could hear shouting coming from the towers surrounding the area, and she had a feeling that those hordes of thugs were on their way.

 _It is time, my apprentice. It is time to use your anger as an advantage. The door is mere matter. Tear it away from the wall, and let nothing stand in your righteous path._

Ahsoka looked at the door, puzzled. She had heard tales of powerful Force adepts being able to move things hundreds of times heavier than themselves, but they'd always been old masters that had been training for decades. Master Yoda could likely remove the door, but Ahsoka was unsure of her ability to move little more than a rock.

 _Your hatred will make you strong. Do not believe the lies of the Jedi, or of your own mind. You are stronger than metal. You are stronger than stone._

Ahsoka gritted her teeth, and, closing her eyes, opened her mind to the all-pervasive power of the Force. She reached her right hand out in front of her, and began to will the Force to move. Blaster bolts sparked all around her. She could feel the heat as they sizzled past her, but she maintained her focus.

 _Unleash your rage, Ahsoka! These are the men who hurt your friend! MAKE THEM SUFFER!_

Suddenly, the sound of rending metal filled the air. The massive door had started to tear away from its mooring. Ahsoka focused all the anger, hatred and rage she felt for these monsters into one singular act; the destruction of the door. Then, with an unholy shriek, the massive metal door tore away from the wall and flew into the advancing guards, crushing them instantly.

Ahsoka was stunned. She stood, unmoving and silent for several seconds, not believing what she had done. Clarity returned to her quickly, however, and she returned to her task. The fight was just beginning.

Inside the fortified command and control center of the Hutts' executive building, a feeling of controlled panic began to descend upon Bib Fortuna and his bodyguards. Hard facts were hard to come by, and terrified stories of insane Jedi and rampaging monsters were on the lips of every battered minion that managed to fall back to the control center still alive. Most of the stories said that it was one person, a girl no less, but that she possessed power that they'd never seen, even in Jedi. It mattered little to Bib Fortuna who was coming or how many there really were, he had one simple protocol for dealing with cataclysmic situations.

Run like hell.

And he was about to do just that, when he could hear explosions and screams coming from just down the hall from the reinforced room. The room itself was practically a bunker, created to withstand even full-power blasts from capital ship turbolasers. Had he the capacity to trust in the handiwork of even the construction engineers the Hutts trusted enough to build their private sanctums, he would simply sit still and wait out the attack. It certainly was not the first time enemies of the Hutt clan had assaulted one of the command centers, and it surely would not be the last, considering the rather unsavory sort the Hutts tended to attract. However, he was Bib Fortuna, and he hadn't survived working for Jabba this long because of his remarkable combat skills. When an unbeatable danger came to his front door, he slipped out the back.

Only this time, there was only one way out, and that was through the explosions, the screams, and the undoubtedly copious amounts of carnage. He wanted no part of any of that. And so, Bib Fortuna, majordomo to the mightiest crime lord in the galaxy, exercised the only option left to him. He called his boss.

When Jabba appeared in the holoviewer, he certainly looked surprised. He'd seen Bib panicked before, as the Twi'lek was always a bit skittish. Today, though, it was a whole new level of terror he was seeing in the bright red eyes of his lieutenant. Jabba, clearly irritated at the interruption of whatever it was he'd been doing, grumbled an admonition in Huttese at the terrified Twi'lek. Bib, desperate at this point, fell to his knees and begged his employer to find a way to save him.

It was a futile effort, however, as immediately as he'd done so, the thick neuranium door that could withstand the blasts from an Imperial combat cruiser crumpled in on itself and fell away from the massive hinges and armored frame that had been Bib Fortuna's last line of defense. Through a cloud of smoke and noxious fumes, Bib could make out two glowing blades, one yellow and one green, moving into the room from the hallway. Holding the blades was an extremely angry looking Togruta girl, one that Bib Fortuna recognized.

"Ahsoka Tano? Why are you doing this? Do you not realize that even now Great Jabba watches you?" the panicked Twi'lek screeched, trying in vain to intimidate the girl.

It was for naught, however, as Ahsoka abruptly extended her hand out in front of her, towards Bib, and he flew backwards several meters, slamming into a wall and crumpling to the floor. "SHUT UP, MONSTER!" Hatred flowed from Ahsoka like a palpable force, threatening to wash away everything in her path in a tide of blood and chaos. As she loomed over the dazed Twi'lek, she saw the fear in his tiny red eyes, and it felt...good, somehow. He was too terrified to even speak.

From behind her, though, she heard laughter. It was the all too familiar laugh that was the signature of the infamous Jabba the Hutt. She wasn't sure why the Hutt was laughing, so she turned back to the holoviewer, where a very-amused Hutt looked back at her.

"Ho ho ho...little Ahsoka Tano. You perhaps lack the understanding to know how much of a tragic mistake you've just made. You have intruded on my property, and killed dozens of my men, and clearly are about to kill my own lieutenant. If I wasn't so impressed with your cold-bloodedness, I'd have you eviscerated where you stand."

The Hutt's smugness infuriated Ahsoka even further. "Cold-blooded, Jabba? Please. YOU are the last entity that has the right to call ME cold-blooded. This..." Ahsoka gestured to the room around her, smoking ruin and crumpled bodies lying at her feet. "This is retribution."

"Retribution? Ahsoka, I don't recall you being so stupid. I took you under my protection, at great personal risk, may I add. I kept you from the all-seeing eyes of the Emperor, and how do you repay me? You attack my property. Not very Jedi-like, is it?"

Ahsoka reached her left hand out towards Bib Fortuna, reaching out with the Force to lift the Twi'lek into the air. She displayed Bib like a trophy before his master. "No. It isn't." Bib fell to the floor, clutching his throat as some unseen force threatened to choke the life from him. Ahsoka took hold of the end of one of the old Twi'lek's lekku, and switched on one of her lightsabers with the other hand. "And neither is this."

With a swift movement, Ahsoka sliced off about a foot of the lek she held. Bib Fortuna fell to the ground, screaming in pain. A torrent of dark blue blood gushed from the wound as he collapsed into a fetal position, howling and whimpering. Ahsoka lazily flipped her hand over, dropping the severed lek to the floor next to its former owner.

"Now, Jabba, we're going to negotiate a new deal. The girl that this..." Ahsoka pointed to the quivering Twi'lek on the ground. "...tailless weakling used to possess, she's mine now. I'm going to take her and my things and I'm going to leave this planet, and YOU are going to do nothing about it. If I so much as suspect you've sent ANYONE after me, or after the girl, it won't be a flunky I come for."

Ahsoka leaned close to the holoviewer, her eyes locking on with the projected eyes of the Hutt.

"It will be you. And yes, I know Hutts are immune to Jedi mind tricks. Believe me when I say, I will not need mind tricks to teach YOU a lesson, Jabba. Don't be an idiot. Forget you ever met me."

Jabba looked angrier than Ahsoka could ever remember seeing him. "You really think I'm just going to allow you to walk away after this insult?"

Ahsoka spun her lightsaber in a small circle as a wicked smirk crossed her lips. "No, I don't. Which is why I'll be seeing you soon, Jabba." She brought the blade down hard on the holoviewer, and the image of an enraged Hutt wavered and then vanished.

Ahsoka turned back to the crumpled form of Bib Fortuna, laying on the ground, weakly whimpering in agony. She stared to reach out her hand towards the Twi'lek again, but before she could do so, she caught a quick glimpse of a movement in the corner of her vision. She spun on her heel to face the movement, only to see it was actually just her reflection in a shiny metal surface nearby. She was startled to see that her eyes, usually a bright blue, were a strange, sickly yellow in color. She was puzzled by this, as she'd never heard of such a thing happening before. There was so much she didn't know, that she didn't understand about this strange, new path she was on, but all she knew was that it felt RIGHT. She felt strong, powerful. She'd gotten retribution for her new friend, and was fairly sure she had successfully backed out of her deal with Jabba.

 _You have done well, Ahsoka. You have brought justice to those who would have gone unpunished if not for you. Your friend is now safe because of your efforts. Be proud in who you are, but remember that the fight is not yet over. You have much more training to do, Ahsoka, but for that, we must meet. Come to Yavin 4. There is an ancient Sith temple there. There, in the presence of the ancient Sith Lords, you shall be trained properly. Go. Now._

Ahsoka's head spun. The message from Vader was somehow much clearer, more powerful than it had been before. Before, it had been a distant echo in her mind; remote, quiet. This time, it had been like the peal of a monstrous bell charged with the all-consuming power of the Dark Side.

 _He is near. He must be._

There was no further message, however, and Ahsoka hung her lightsabers back on her belt, and walked calmly out of the Hutt building, knowing that, at least for now, no one would dare attack her. She hoped that the fear she'd sowed would give Enuma protection enough for them to leave Praxigor VI behind forever.

As Ahsoka silently strode through the buildings, she could not help but reflect on what had occurred. She'd fought with ferocity before, but never before had it been like this. She was terrifying to behold, and grown men, thugs hired for their toughness and cruelty, had run for their lives from her. She could not figure out why the Jedi would deny themselves such a boon. Had the Jedi fought against the Sith as she had fought against Jabba's men, the ancient wars would have ended eons ago, and there would have finally been peace.

Of course, as she reminded herself, peace was a lie.

Everything was so new to her, so overwhelming. She just wanted to return to her little home, check on Enuma, and collapse in bed. When she awoke, she'd make arrangements for Enuma and herself to leave this cesspool of a world forever. And then...Yavin 4.

The Yavin system was far from Praxigor, far out of the interests of the Hutts, and the Empire. She knew very little about it, besides that Yavin itself was a gas giant, but that in ancient times, civilizations had arisen on some of Yavin's moons. It was ultimately irrelevant, as nothing remained but ruins. The stories of haunted temples persisted, though, and these intrigued Ahsoka. She wondered what adventures lay ahead for her.

She returned to her small shack late that night. No one was really milling about at this time of night, and she could quietly slip into her little house and get some sleep. As she opened the door, Enuma sat, a look of worry in her eyes being replaced by elation as she realized what Ahsoka's return meant.

"You have returned, Ahsoka! I am so happy!" Enuma's genuine smile warmed Ahsoka's heart. She believed, and quite rightly so, that Enuma's times of genuine happiness had been few, but this was one of them. Enuma leapt up from the small rug she'd sat on, near the hearth that still warmed the drafty old place. With an agile leap, Enuma flew into Ahsoka, her arms clamping down on Ahsoka in a joyous embrace. "Thank you, Ahsoka. No one has ever bothered to take care of me."

Ahsoka smiled, and returned Enuma's embrace. "It's no problem, Enuma. I'm just glad you're alright. But yes, Bib Fortuna won't be bothering you ever again. You're free. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I'll be leaving Praxigor tomorrow morning, but I'd be happy to take you wherever you'd like to go."

"Wherever Ahsoka goes, I want to go."

Ahsoka slid out of Enuma's arms, a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

"I am free, yes? I can go where I want?" Ahsoka nodded her agreement, and Enuma smiled even wider than before. "Then I want to go with you. Not because I owe you, or because I see you as my master now, but because..." Enuma's smile turned quite bashful. "Because Ahsoka is my friend now. I want to help you like you helped me. I am a good cook, and I can sew. I can make you pretty clothes if you like. Please, Ahsoka, let me come with you."

Ahsoka smiled warmly at the determined Twi'lek. "Alright, Enuma. Get some sleep, because tomorrow we have a long trip ahead of us."

Ahsoka laid down on the floor next to the cot, in which she had Enuma sleep. The Twi'lek was quite chatty for a while, wanting to reiterate all of Ahsoka's great qualities, but eventually Enuma fell soundly asleep, possibly for the first time in a great long while. Ahsoka joined her shortly after, finally relaxing after the rush of combat faded away. Her eyes, once more blue, closed happily, ready for new adventures ahead, but still somewhat nervous at the prospect of being near her master once again. She hadn't been anywhere near him since she'd walked away from the Jedi, and wasn't sure if he was even the same person that he'd been before.

She'd find out soon enough, and the soft darkness of sleep claimed her.


	4. Chapter 4

The small ship had just dropped out of hyperspace with a satisfying hum. Ahsoka punched a couple of buttons on the console in front of her, putting her ship on automatic pilot. She'd looked forward to seeing the massive gas giant since Vader had ordered her to Yavin 4. Ahsoka had seen several different worlds in her lifetime, first with Master Plo Koon when she left her homeworld of Shili, then by Anakin's side through the Clone War, and lately on her own while running from the Empire. Nothing compared to the crimson majesty of Yavin, however. It was like an enormous ruby storm in the sky, its turbulent atmosphere roiling and churning as it had since time immemorial. Ahsoka had never seen the like before, and took a moment to take it all in. Enuma was equally enthralled, her eyes wider than normal. Enuma smiled beatifically, and the majesty of Yavin reflected in her brilliant purple eyes. Ahsoka wasn't sure what made her happier; the glory of Yavin or the joy Enuma practically radiated in seeing it for the first time.

Ahsoka turned the ship about and set course for Yavin 4, a nearby moon that had once sustained an entire Sith civilization. She didn't know much about the Sith on Yavin 4, but that was hardly surprising, as any information about the Sith was hard to come by, thanks to the Jedi. As they descended through the atmosphere, they saw beneath them an endless sea of green, thanks to the massive rain forests that covered Yavin 4. It made it an ideal place to hide out, as only the most massive structures were even visible above the jungle canopy. There were some incredibly massive structures that Ahsoka could see as they approached the coordinates she'd been given. The largest of them all was their destination: the great Sith temple.

The enormous stone ziggurat loomed so high over the jungle canopy that from their distance, the massive trees looked like blades of grass next to it. Ahsoka could scarcely believe that such a monstrous construct could even exist, much less be built by the hands of mortals. Nevertheless, there it stood, on the horizon, calling to her through the power of the Dark Side. She could feel the pull, in the darkest recesses of her mind, leading her to her destiny.

Enuma also could not take her eyes off the monolithic structure, but for an entirely different reason. She was clearly afraid, muttering to herself in the Twi'lek's native language. Ahsoka wasn't terribly proficient in Ryl, but what little fragments she could make out were protestations of not wanting to go near that horrible place. Ahsoka understood Enuma's fears; Twi'leks could be intensely superstitious, and the temple practically radiated power. Ahsoka could feel its distortions in the Force even from their distance. Ahsoka did her best to calm the nervous Twi'lek, but Enuma remained nervous, despite her assurances that she would be alright.

The small ship, that had once belonged to one of Jabba's servants, set down at the edge of the temple's clearing. Ahsoka could feel the power of this place more intensely than before, and it disoriented her at first. She'd never felt such power before, and to be fair, she believed no Jedi ever had either. Only Sith had been here, that she could tell, and the power of the Dark Side was a palpable thing in this place.

Ahsoka gathered up a few items: her lightsabers, a few bits of rations should she be in there a while, a cloak. The rain had started to fall here shortly before they had landed, and she was in no mood to deal with wet clothes in addition to her nerves being frayed as they were. Though she didn't feel the desire to shun the power of the Dark Side, she still found herself unnerved by it, and she'd never felt it so strongly before. She pulled the hood of the cloak over her montrals, and went to exit the ship.

"Ahsoka, please, do not go there. It is a bad place, Ahsoka. I can feel it." Enuma looked genuinely worried, as if she knew she'd never see Ahsoka again. Ahsoka couldn't help but think that she might be right. After all, she was coming here following a dream, or vision, of her master who had fallen to the Dark Side and become Sith, and then gravely wounded, only to be reborn as a cyborg. There was no logic to this; it was all gut instinct.

 _Very much like the Sith themselves,_ Ahsoka thought to herself.

"Enuma, I know you're worried. It's alright, things will be fine. We're supposed to be here. I'm meeting an...old friend."

"Ahsoka, this place is filled with darkness! Can't you feel it? I thought all those who could feel the Force could feel these things!"

Ahsoka found herself stopping in her tracks. Was Enuma Force-sensitive? This may prove interesting, seeing how they managed to meet. She would have to remember to discuss this with Vader...assuming he was actually there.

"Enuma, please. I can handle it. You just stay here, alright? Seal the hatch, and nothing will bother you. I'll have a comlink with me, so call me if you need something." Ahsoka smiled at Enuma. "I'll be back soon, alright? Get some rest."

Despite Enuma's protests, Ahsoka disembarked from the ship and made her way to the temple proper. She could see that at one time, massive stone and iron doors had blocked the way in to the sanctuary, but they had long since been knocked off their hinges. Fragments of what she was certain were the doors lay scattered about, each the size of a respectable boulder. Everything about this place was massive. Whoever had designed and built it definitely had intimidation in mind.

She went inside the temple, and as she walked closer and closer to the center of the ziggurat, the light from outside seemed to grow dimmer. Perhaps a conceit of the architect, intended to symbolize the growing power of the Dark Side? Ahsoka could hardly find the words for what she beheld here, in this most ancient of places.

Her footsteps echoed from distant walls, and because of the darkness within, she could not get an accurate read on how massive this chamber was. All she could hear was her footfalls...and breathing.

Mechanical breathing, in a regular pattern. He was here.

"You have come." The deep voice of Darth Vader echoed throughout the chamber. It sounded like a voice welling up from the bowels of Yavin 4 itself. Ahsoka could see the small blinking lights on the control panel mounted on Vader's chest. She walked over to him, anxious to prove that he was real, and that he was here. She was nervous, more so than she'd ever been, at being in the physical presence of her first, and current, master.

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka fell to one knee before Vader, her head bowed and her eyes averted. "You asked me to come, and I have come. I come to serve, and to be trained by you."

Vader stood, inscrutable, with only the sound of his respirator being heard in the monstrous temple. It felt like minutes had passed before he spoke again, but when he did, it was with the force of a thunderstorm. "You have felt the power of the Dark Side, and embraced it, but you are not Sith. Not yet. Since time long gone, the Sith have had a tradition. There shall only ever be two: a master, and an apprentice. If we are to deal with the Emperor, we must proceed from the assumption that he is not to be considered the master any longer. As for the apprentice..."

Vader turned, gesturing towards the dark walls of the temple. "Within this chamber, there is a trial you must pass. If you succeed, I will train you as my apprentice, and together, we will make preparations for a better galaxy, a galaxy ruled by us. Should you fail...you will die."

The words hit Ahsoka like a sledgehammer. She knew the Sith were severe, but she didn't think that Vader would willingly risk her life. _No,_ she thought, _Anakin might not have, but Darth Vader certainly will. I must not forget that he is not the same person he was when he trained me before._ Ahsoka rose to her feet, and bowed her head to Vader. "As you command, my master."

Ahsoka detached her cloak's clasp, letting the cloth fall to the ground. Her hands instinctively went to where her lightsabers hung, assuring her that they were there and at the ready. She clenched her jaw, and swallowed hard. She walked in the direction Vader had indicated, and found herself lost in the darkness.

She refrained from thrashing her arms about before her, choosing instead to let the Force see for her, and with these augmented senses, she found a massive doorway, leading down into even deeper darkness. She felt fear like a physical sensation, and she was mindful of it. She reminded herself that her emotions could give her strength, but could also be a fatal weakness if she allowed them to control her. She knew she had to be her own master here, or she would never emerge again. She walked through the doorway, not knowing at all what to expect.

As she passed through the doorway, the air grew cold, and an odd mist started to form, hovering just over the floor. She could still feel that the floor was stone, but it was wet as well, and her feet occasionally splashed as she walked forward.

"Ahsoka..." A familiar voice, a voice from her past, spoke in a harsh whisper.

"Lux?" Ahsoka found herself speaking out loud, the sudden change in volume almost startling her. She knew the voice, but it wasn't possible for Lux Bonteri to be there, for surely he was still serving in the Senate, back on Coruscant. She'd known him briefly during a turbulent period on Onderon, and fought side-by-side with him to free his world from the grip of Count Dooku's Separatists. She'd had several close calls where she'd almost allowed herself to have feelings for the young man, but, being the loyal Jedi, she denied herself even that small indulgence.

"Ahsoka, why did you not tell me how you felt?"

"Where are you, Lux?"

"I'm here, nearby. Just follow my voice."

Ahsoka continued along the rough corridor, following the sound of Lux's voice. Her heart beat rapidly now, but Ahsoka wasn't sure if it was out of fear, or out of the repressed desires she'd hidden from everyone, especially Lux himself. "How can you be here, Lux?"

"I am here because you are here." The voice was right next to her. Sure enough, as she turned rapidly to face the source of the sound, she saw the young face of Lux Bonteri, his eyes almost filled with tears. "I have missed you, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka, abandoning all pretense of stoicism, threw her arms around the young man and embraced him tightly. He returned the gesture, his smile almost warming the room around them. "I've thought about you a lot over the years." She felt such inexplicable joy at this meeting, but in the back of her mind, she knew that it couldn't possibly be real. Her logical mind, the mind of a Jedi, told her not to allow herself to be wrapped up in her passions.

She no longer cared about what the Jedi would have wanted. She wasn't a Jedi any longer. All she knew is she felt such strong emotions for the young man, and strong emotions needed strong action.

She pulled her head back slightly, to look him in his eyes, and they hovered there for a moment. It felt as if the time of decision had come, and Ahsoka had to make her choice. For Ahsoka Tano, in that moment, in that place, there was only one choice she could possibly make.

She kissed him with such passion, such desire, that she thought she might swallow him whole.

Her arms found now only empty air, and her lips were untouched. Lux Bonteri wasn't there. Maybe he'd never been there, and she'd probably never know. She did know, however, that for that one moment, that one perfect moment, she'd taken what she wanted, and ceased to deny herself and her passions, and she'd touched him. She'd kissed him, and nothing could ever take that away from her. However, at his vanishing, she felt welling up within her an equally potent rage, one that demanded he be returned to her, and that this was cruel to do to her. She kept her voice silent, though the anger still boiled away just beneath the surface. Remembering what Vader had told her before, back on Praxigor VI, she stoked the fires of her rage, and kept them burning. She knew that she would need it.


	5. Chapter 5

The image of Lux Bonteri had faded, but Ahsoka's anger hadn't waned in the slightest. She found herself questioning this entire endeavor; after all, Vader seemed nothing like the man he'd once been. Many stories had circulated that Anakin Skywalker had died in a final stand at the Jedi temple on Coruscant, and that Vader had been the one that destroyed him. Perhaps that was true, and that the nature of the Dark Side isn't so much a change of heart as a complete recreation of a person. Maybe, Ahsoka reasoned, there really was nothing left of Anakin. Even if that were true, however, Ahsoka knew what she needed to survive, and to protect innocents like Enuma was power, and Vader had it.

She wandered down another seemingly-endless corridor, the cold stone surrendering no indication of where she was. If this was to be a trial of apparitions, Ahsoka couldn't help but wonder what of the many ghosts of her past would be the next to haunt her.

"Ahsoka. I knew one day you would come." Ahsoka's blood turned cold at the familiar voice. She turned and looked into a face she'd hoped she would never see again.

Barriss Offee smiled at her, and Ahsoka's rage began to boil closer to the surface.

"You. You're the one that caused all this misery! I should have killed you when I had the chance," Barriss almost sang, mocking Ahsoka. "Is that what you were going to say? Maybe you're right, maybe you should have." The apparition leaned closer to Ahsoka, their faces nearly touching. "But you didn't. And even though I ultimately confessed to what I did, it was YOU that paid the price, wasn't it, Ahsoka?"

Barriss, her robe flowing around her almost like liquid, walked in a slow circle around Ahsoka, her eyes always hidden in the shadows cast by her hood. The familiar diamond-shaped markings across the bridge of her nose marked the border between light and shadow on the lost Jedi's face. Her mouth was twisted into a cruel grin. "Luminara Unduli, Shaak Ti, so many others, all lost. You could have helped them, Ahsoka. But you ran. You took your hurt feelings and ran. And while you were gone, the clones turned and butchered them all. Even your beloved Anakin. Even me. They found me in my cell, and executed me."

The phantasm of Barriss continued to circle around Ahsoka, clearly seeming to enjoy this opportunity to berate her former friend. "You know what happened after you left, Ahsoka. Everything disintegrated for the Jedi. They were obliterated. Younglings were slaughtered as they practiced in the temple. All throughout the galaxy, where they were found, they were cut down just as easily. Plo Koon. You remember your original mentor, don't you, Ahsoka? Do you know what happened to him? Do you even care?"

Barriss flashed a wicked smile, her eyes concealed beneath the hood she always had on. "Darth Vader, the man who slaughtered everyone you had come to care about and trust, every last one of them, and now you serve him. You believe I betrayed you, but in your heart, Ahsoka dear, you know that YOU are the traitor here. You have known that for some time, haven't you? It's what keeps you awake at night. It's what makes you wake up screaming, isn't it? You might as well have killed them yourself, Ahsoka. It would have been more honest than what you did."

Ahsoka found her anger to be hard to contain, but for some reason she kept her temper under control. She needed to know what Barriss had to say. This was a confrontation that she'd known would have to happen one day. Today was that day, and here, in the Sith temple of Yavin 4, the pair were eye-to-eye once more. Ahsoka's hatred was in no way veiled, but the cold malice in the voice of Barriss, the absence of the person Ahsoka had come to care for, struck Ahsoka hard in her heart.

She could barely hold in her rage at Barriss' mockery. She wanted to lash out, strike the one that was once her best friend, the one who knew so many of her secrets. She wanted to slice her one-time friend in two, but she waited. Perhaps it was the last remnants of her training as a Jedi, but she knew that there were things she needed to know, and only Barriss could tell her.

"You, however, escaped the horror. I find it supremely ironic that the Jedi actually set their own destruction in motion, and I needn't have worried so much about the bombing. Alas, none of us escaped that day, save for you, and maybe one or two others. I'd heard rumors that Master Yoda escaped, but no one knows for sure." Barriss leaned in close once more, looking Ahsoka right in the eyes, a glint of reflection in otherwise dark orbs revealing unadulterated malice. "And yet, you, lowliest of the Padawans, somehow survived. Survived by burying yourself in the grotesque busom of the Hutts."

"Coward."

That was Ahsoka's breaking point. An unseen force seemed to throw Barriss back several meters, impacting into a wall with the sickening sound of bone on stone. Barriss, her mocking smile replaced with panic, struggled aimlessly to escape the grip around her neck. Ahsoka, her eyes flaring with rage, walked over to Barriss, her anger nearly arcing from her skin like electricity. "You secretly plan to murder innocent people, good people, friends of mine, and plot and scheme to have ME blamed for it, but I am the coward? Oh, no, Barriss. I don't think so. I'd wanted to never have this conversation, but since you're here, we might as well have it out. Yes, you DID ruin my life, as it was up to that point, but you didn't break me. I didn't run out of cowardice. I left in disgust. Oddly enough, it was in your carrying out such an act that I got to see what the Jedi really were. In the end, I shared your feelings on the matter. You were right about them, Barriss. Absolutely right."

"But…" Ahsoka flashed that same cruel grin Barriss had worn just minutes before. "That doesn't mean that I forgive you. You still betrayed me, and I take that type of thing VERY personally. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's not for me to take justice into my own hands. A Jedi might get over it, or more likely repress it into oblivion, but as you well know…"

Ahsoka waved her hand, and Barriss' head turned at an unnatural angle, emanating a sickening crunch. Ahsoka released her grip on Barriss, and the Mirialan crumpled to the floor, lifeless. Unlike Lux, the apparition didn't vanish. Instead, the lifeless body merely sat as a testament to the power of rage and the Dark Side. Ahsoka, her wicked smile intact, turned and walked away.

"…I'm no Jedi."


	6. Chapter 6

Ahsoka had to admit it to herself; she enjoyed carrying out vengeance against someone who had managed to hit her in a most personal way. The sound of Barriss' neck snapping had been one of the most satisfying sounds she'd ever heard, but there was a small part of her that questioned why she would find such delight in killing someone. Yes, Barriss had stabbed her in the back, abandoned her, and tried to make her escape without consequence, but Ahsoka had never thought of herself as a cruel person. There had been times she'd been forced to take a life, even as a Jedi, but they were never done out of cruelty. Had she fallen so far, so quickly, as to relish the idea of inflicting pain, and even murder? Had this been how Anakin had fallen?

Her thoughts went back to the monolithic Sith Lord that stood outside of the catacombs she was traversing. It was true, Darth Vader was not Anakin Skywalker, not as she had known him, but the experiences, the knowledge, that Anakin had possessed were very much a part of Vader. He'd clearly changed physically. She had no idea what he looked like under the armor and the mask, but if his tale of what had occurred on Mustafar held any truth, it was probably horrific.

Vader told her that he'd been attacked and maimed by Obi-wan Kenobi, and left for dead. Ahsoka couldn't help but see the parallels to her own tumultuous life. Perhaps Vader knew this as well. Maybe that was the very reason he'd reached out to her in the first place; he knew she could relate to his experiences. Ahsoka, in that moment of clarity, felt something for Darth Vader she'd never thought she could feel: sorrow.

Everything about the situation seemed crystal clear to her in that moment. Vader, simply trying to be honest with himself about who he was, was attacked and betrayed by one of his closest friends over ideology. All of her fears and doubts about the Jedi seemed completely confirmed, and she realized that she'd made the right choice. For some, Darth Vader was to be feared, and rightly so. For Ahsoka Tano, though, Darth Vader was to be respected. She had committed to his service, and felt even stronger for having done so.

Soon, the galaxy would know that Ahsoka Tano was to be feared and respected as well.

Ahsoka thought back to poor, timid Enuma, waiting for her back at the ship. That was the whole purpose, wasn't it? Protecting people like Enuma from those who would harm them was the whole idea, the whole rationale for accepting Vader's offer. Ahsoka felt confident, supremely confident, that no one would ever harm Enuma again. If that were the case, and Enuma could live a long, happy, and safe life, then Ahsoka knew it would have all have been worth it. Ahsoka found herself feeling very protective of the young, abused Twi'lek, and felt good knowing she'd have the strength to defend the poor girl.

"Are you certain about that, Snips?"

Ahsoka nearly jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. It was a voice she'd thought she would never hear again; that of Anakin Skywalker. Instead of clad in the brown Jedi robes she'd grown accustomed to, Anakin was clad in black. His hair was longer than she remembered, and looked matted down with sweat. He looked haggard, as if he'd been under great strain. A look of profound sadness pulled his features downward, and the scar she'd always known him to have looked strangely like a fresh wound.

"I thought I was protecting someone too, you know. I had so many secrets, Snips…so many that you likely never knew me. Not the real me, anyway." Anakin didn't move, but his eyes were constantly looking around the room, as if expecting an attack. Ahsoka could see that the glove he characteristically wore over his cybernetic hand was damaged, showing moving parts of metal that glinted in the dim light. She couldn't help but feel guilt at how defeated he looked. Was this because of her?

"When you left, I had no one I could confide in. I had so much I was carrying, so many secrets, Snips…there was literally no one I could turn to. No one, that is, until Chancellor Palpatine started taking an interest in me. I knew something was wrong, something fundamentally wrong, with him when he would mention old Sith legends, stories no layman would, or could, even know. It didn't matter to me. He told me that he could help me. Help me learn how to defeat even death."

Anakin slowly moved down to one knee, his eyes never leaving Ahsoka's. "I had a wife. No one knew about the marriage, especially not the Jedi. You know full well that sort of thing was forbidden, but you also know how I react to things being forbidden. I loved her, Ahsoka, with every fiber of my being. Then, she…she was pregnant. I was so happy, Snips…I was going to be a father! But the Jedi…the Jedi would have taken even that joy away from me. I was expected to live a joyless, loveless, passionless life, the same thing they expected of you."

Anakin's stare broke away from Ahsoka. His head tilted downwards and his eyes closed. "But it was hypocrisy. It was an illusion. Lies, from the first day." He reached down and scooped up a handful of the dust and earth from the floor of the dank stone corridor with his damaged right hand. "One night, the Force granted me a vision of what might come to pass, Snips. It showed me the vision of my wife dying in great agony, and me helpless to prevent it. It disturbed me so greatly that I went to Master Yoda to discuss it. Of course, the little frog told me to put it out of my mind, that such tumult would do nothing but destroy me. Of course, he would say such things! Maybe he could live without attachment, without emotion, but I couldn't! I had to do…something, anything! I had to save Padme's life! What else could I have done? She was a part of me, Snips! She was my heart…"

His skeletal metal fingers shifted, letting the fine dust fall from his grip, to the ground from which it came. "…and the Jedi stole her from me. They turned her against me. Used her as bait to lure me into their trap, and then…"

Anakin was gone. In his place, the shine of black metal and plastic replaced the brown robes. The sound of an angry voice was replaced by the mechanical hiss of a respirator. "…then they created THIS." Darth Vader stood, ramrod-straight, with a far more fluid motion than Ahsoka had thought him capable of. "But the Jedi were not the only culprits here. YOU murdered Anakin Skywalker as surely as Obi-wan did. You abandoned him in a time of dire need, and engineered his fall as deviously as any Jedi. YOU created this, Ahsoka."

"Like hell I did!" Ahsoka spat back at Vader. "YOU made your choices, and YOU never really thought the consequences out, did you? You acted rashly, STUPIDLY, if that's really what you did, and you got LITERALLY burned by it! THAT IS NOT MY FAULT!" Ahsoka balled her fists up, though she knew actually striking Vader would gain her very little. "I…I loved you, you know. I knew you could never be mine. Your heart always belonged to _her,_ " Ahsoka's voice seemed to spit that last word out as if in disdain, "even if I didn't know who _she_ was. I never really put the two of you together, but I guess that was the point." Her arms slumped down, her hands dangling at her sides, and she looked every bit as defeated as Anakin had looked a few moments prior. "Leaving the Jedi wasn't hard, not at all, but leaving YOU…leaving Anakin…broke my heart more than I can ever say. But that's how I've always been. I walked away from Lux before anything could happen, and I walked away from Anakin before he could reject me. I couldn't stay with the Jedi, but I'd have given anything for him to have come with me."

"You should have told me, Ahsoka." Her eyes, filling with tears, looked up to see Anakin's face, far more like she remembered him, in his full vigor, looking at her with love. Yes, I loved Padme, but had you spoken up, Snips…that may never have happened. All that came after might not have happened. The EMPIRE itself might not have happened. Do you understand, Ahsoka? Denying yourself what is most precious to you might seem noble in stories, but in real life, we must hold tight to that which we love. We must not be afraid to love, and to be loved. Love is as much a passion as anything else, isn't it?"

Ahsoka, her heart breaking into a thousand shards of glass, didn't hold back the tears as she fell into Anakin's arms. She clung tightly to him, burying her head in his chest, and trying not to let her montrals poke Anakin in the eyes. He held her tenderly, his flesh-and-blood hand idly stroking one of her lekku. She shivered, but relished the moment. She knew, in her heart, that none of this was real, but she would also never have the opportunity to know how it would have felt again. She was resolved to throw herself into this, into him, before the illusion was dispelled.

Ahsoka raised her head to meet his gaze, and trembled. Never in her life had she been so close to him. It all felt so real, so gloriously real to her in that moment. The light scent of old smoke seemed to be infused into his clothing, though she couldn't say what had been burning. His eyes shone in the darkness of the ancient corridor as if lit from within. She tried to speak, but no words would come. Her heart swelled beyond the confines of her slender body as she leaned closer, with the intent of giving herself to him, and only him, forever.

Her lips met his, and she surrendered herself to his embrace. They kissed with passion, with fervor, and her hands clawed into his back as she found herself drowning in a sea of unrealized ecstasy. She had dreamed of this moment for the entire time she'd studied under him, and she was not willing to stop what would follow, what must follow. She wanted him, and he was open to her. His hands ran along the length of her lekku, causing her wave after wave of unbelievable bliss. Sensations she'd never known, even when she'd experimented with interesting means of autoeroticism through use of the Force, threatened to sweep her away into the twilight abyss of the Dark Side of the Force, and she did not care in the least. She wanted to be taken away with him.

She narrowed her eyes, and his black tunic tore away from his body, exposing a well-muscled and scarred torso. Her hands ran over his abdominal muscles, savoring every inch of touch. Anakin smiled, and Ahsoka could see that look he'd so often had, that cocky look when he was about to do something against the rules. She closed her eyes, putting all her faith and trust in him. He nodded his head slightly, and her clothing tore away from her, leaving her unbound in his sight. She wasn't ashamed of her nudity; in fact, she felt more free in that moment than in all the years she'd lived before this.

He laid her down on the cold floor of the corridor, but she didn't pay the discomfort any mind. Her focus was completely on him, and everything else in existence seemed to fade away. Her hands never left him, and her lips never parted from his.

Their union was everything Ahsoka had ever dreamed it could be, and so much more. They felt the power of the Force flow through them as their bodies intertwined, and there was no discerning Ahsoka from Anakin; they were one. Such ecstasy was denied to her as a Jedi, but now…now there was no denying her anything ever again. Her back arched hard as she felt the sensation coming to a climax, her head thrown back and nearly smashed into the unforgiving stone.

And then he was gone.

Ahsoka lay there, alone, exposed. It didn't matter to her, because she knew; to get what you want, there is always a price, and everyone always pays. Anakin had been inside her, and she'd known it to be as real as any other sensation. She could carry this moment with her always, and remember what it was to be loved, to surrender yourself to passion. She would have loved for it to have gone on forever…

Then it hit her. Maybe it could.

Anakin, at least the phantasmal Anakin, had told her that an old Sith Lord had found the means to conquer death. Perhaps if she could find this forbidden, dark knowledge, she could restore Anakin to his former health and strength. She gathered her clothing swiftly, slipping everything back on as well as she could, with some being damaged and torn. She knew what she had to do now; she would save him, and then he would be hers.

Her clothing torn, her smooth orange skin covered in dust, and her montrals and lekku equally filthy, but Ahsoka's dignity and pride were fully intact. Suddenly, the whole idea of her training under Darth Vader made perfect sense. She could be there with him, help heal his mind and his heart, while she sought the dark wisdom to heal his body. Then, when he was finally whole again, she would be with him, and together, no one could stand in their way. It would mean sacrifices, of course, because everything has a cost, but in the end, she would have the one she loved, and she would be free to love him, and to be loved by him.

They would rule the galaxy together. Suddenly, the prospect didn't seem so ludicrous.

Her hips ached as she trudged wearily down the stone corridor. She grinned at the thought, for _something_ had opened her legs wide just then. _Perhaps it really did happen after all_ , she thought to herself with a small degree of devilish glee. She found her gait to improve quickly, and within seconds she was moving at her normally quick pace. She moved with purpose and intent; she needed to get back to Vader soon. Whatever lay in store for her, Darth Vader was the key to it all. He possessed the knowledge, and the power she needed, and his affinity with the Dark Side would take her places she could not have gone before. She knew, in her heart, that this was the right choice. She felt her heart leap at the thought of being at his side, but she forced that feeling down, hidden deep. Vader didn't know how she'd felt about him, and she had to keep it that way. Though she recognized her need of Vader, she still did not fully trust him. She had to maintain a healthy distance between herself and the Sith Lord if her plans were to come to fruition. She had to have her own secrets.


	7. Chapter 7

Ahsoka's stride carried her through the winding tunnels of the ancient Sith temple, her steps light and silent. Her heart was lighter still, having finally been unburdened of the unrequited love she had harbored for her former master, but she remained serious. There still could be further trials yet to come, and at the end of it all, she would have to face the man who had risen from the ashes of the man she loved so dearly. That man, Darth Vader, held the key to Ahsoka's desires being made manifest.

Her tattered clothes made the only sound as she moved, ever faster, finding her command of the Force to have been elevated somewhat within the confines of the temple. She had thought that the touch of the Dark Side would have been uncomfortable to her, but in truth it felt no different than it had as a Jedi. The Force was the Force, and there seemed to be no difference in it regardless of the use, or the user. The only difference, she had found, was that now, she commanded it to her bidding, instead of passively letting it do what it would. It was empowering, and she craved more. Before she could have it, though, she had to get out of this infernal labyrinth.

Many twists and turns confused and befuddled Ahsoka, but still she pressed ever onward. Many times, she thought she had actually gone in circles, and maybe she had, but no sign of the previous visions and spectres could be found. Just when she thought she may never escape, an all-too-familiar door loomed before her, and she walked confidently through, back into the main sanctuary.

Darth Vader stood, waiting. As usual, he was unreadable. No emotion seemed to emanate from the hulking black form, almost as if he was entirely machine, instead of just partially. The mechanical breathing noises came at a steady, regulated rate. His arms, folded across his chest, seemed to imply impatience, but Ahsoka felt that what time she had taken within the catacombs was precisely as much time as it had needed to be.

"Stand before me, Ahsoka Tano." Ahsoka still had difficulty getting used to the deep bass sound of Vader's voice. Was Anakin actually still in there somewhere? If so, was it even possible to reach him? And if not...was this all going to be worth it? Nonetheless, Ahsoka did as she was commanded to do, and stood in front on the monstrous Sith Lord, her head bowed respectfully.

"You have entered the world of your own mind, and proven that no ghost, no haunting memory controls you. No outside force has influence over your own destiny. You are in command of yourself, and you have the strength of will to command the Force to act in accordance with your bidding. Most important of all, you have shown me that you possess the strength you will need to overthrow the Emperor when the time comes, and you have shown me that on that day, we will fight side-by-side, and he will not be able to defeat us. You are worthy, Ahsoka Tano, of the honor that I shall bestow upon you, just as it was bestowed upon me by my master. Kneel."

Ahsoka went to one knee before the dark lord, her head still bowed low. Vader reached out his left hand and laid it upon the top of her head. It struck her in that moment just how massive Darth Vader really was. Anakin hadn't been a small man, but compared to what he had become, he was quite small indeed. She was even more diminutive than that, and she felt quite small indeed.

"On this day, you are reborn. Gone is the foolish, naive child that you once were, and gone is any connection to those who would chain you, hold you back, and keep you from your rightful power. Today, you are a new person. Today, you are Sith."

"Rise, Darth Somina."

She felt the absolute power of her new name surge through her like lightning. She felt different, very different, than she had been even mere seconds before. She had accepted, even embraced, those passions that she had spent so much time denying herself, even knowing the love of he whom she had craved for so long, and in so doing, she had become more than she had been even just the day before. She found herself thanking Enuma, thanking the young Twi'lek for giving her a reason to rise, rise out of the swamps and sewers that she had cowered in before. Had she not encountered Enuma, and turned her blades on the cronies of Jabba the Hutt, perhaps she would have never come here, and never known the joys she had experienced. She certainly would not be kneeling here today, the might of the Dark Side flowing through her like a turbulent river, reborn as something MORE.

Ahsoka was gone. Only Somina remained.

Somina rose to her feet, power and pride practically crackling over her body. She lifted her head to face her master. Vader had taken a step back, giving her room to get to her feet and stand. He had turned to gaze off into the distance. "There is a strange current in the Force today, my apprentice. Have you felt it?"

"I have, master. Several times, during my trials."

"Something has fundamentally changed, Somina. I want you to investigate. Take your ship. I will provide you with Imperial clearance codes that will get you wherever you need to go, no questions asked. Go to Coruscant and make your way into the ruin of the Jedi temple. I sense that the distortion is emanating from there. Discover the source of this distortion, and eliminate it."

Somina bowed her head respectfully. "As you command, my master."

Vader pointed a finger at her, immediately capturing her attention. "Do not allow yourself to be discovered, not by anyone. The Emperor has eyes and ears everywhere, and his command of the Force is formidable enough that he may be able to sense you even if you do not use any of your skills. Be silent, be swift, and do not allow yourself to be discovered. Go. Report back to me at my flagship after your task is complete."

Somina nodded and turned to walk away. As she departed, a wicked grin danced across her lips, as she relished the idea of a real fight. If there was something that had Darth Vader concerned, then it would be a real challenge, and she looked forward to it. Of course, the memory of Anakin's hands on her body wasn't half bad either, and she imagined she'd have to revisit those memories again quite soon.

Night was falling around the temple on Yavin 4 as Somina left the main ziggurat. Her ship sat, safe and sound, just where she'd left it. She had no idea of how much time had passed, but as it was dusk, she knew she'd been in there the entire day. She wondered how Enuma had fared in her absence, and her question was answered when she saw the Twi'lek, her violet eyes smiling, descending down the ramp from the interior of the ship. Enuma ran to meet her, throwing her arms around Somina with a relieved hug.

"I was so worried that my friend was not coming back! I am so glad you...Ahsoka, your eyes!"

Somina raised an eyebrow. Enuma seemed extremely puzzled, and she hadn't the slightest clue why. "What do you mean, Enuma? What about my eyes?"

Enuma, placing a hand on each of Somina's shoulders, looked her in the eyes, a confused look on her own face. "Your eyes! They are different. A very pretty orange now."

Somina grinned, trying to put the Twi'lek at ease. "Interesting. Things have changed, Enuma, but I'm still your friend, still who I always was. I'm just...better now. More able to help people. More able to keep you safe."

Enuma nodded, and her smile returned. "Then that is a good thing, and I am happy for you, Ahsoka." The Twi'lek gently kissed Somina on the cheek. "If you are happy, then I am happy."

Somina blushed, but only for an instant. Enuma's act was completely innocent, but still had a level of intimacy to it that Somina hadn't realized they'd developed. Somina still had difficulties trusting people, after what had occurred with Barriss, and she'd not made friends easily. It seemed, however, that Enuma was not going to be driven off so easily, and Somina found herself glad for that. She wasn't sure what Enuma was talking about, with her eyes supposedly changing color, and perhaps she would need to ask Vader about that at some point, but for now, they had a job to do.

Somina started the ignition sequence while Enuma secured the ship for launch. Once Enuma was securely strapped into the seat next to her, Somina flashed her a genuine smile. The Twi'lek returned the smile, and they felt the ship move, flawlessly lifting off from the surface of Yavin 4. The ship leapt into orbit around the moon within seconds, and Somina prepared the calculations for the jump to light speed.

"Have you ever been to Coruscant, Enuma?"

The Twi'lek, still smiling, cocked her head slightly to the left. "I don't think I have heard of that place, Ahsoka. Is it a good place?"

Somina, a slight darkening of her mood being almost noticeable to the eager Twi'lek, spoke with an unusual degree of seriousness. "It once was. Maybe one day we can help make it that way again."

Enuma smiled even wider. "I would love to help you, but I am not strong like you are. I don't know what I can do."

"You will, Enuma. You will. Stay with me, and I'll show you just how strong you can be! Hang on!"

Somina activated the light speed drive controls, and the ship leapt into hyperspace.


	8. Chapter 8

The trip through hyperspace was uneventful, with Enuma's chatter becoming less and less irritating with every conversation. Somina, if anything, was growing fond of the young Twi'lek, seeing in the violet eyes of the girl something she'd once seen in the eyes of another. Enuma's life had been hard since birth, just as Somina's had been; that is, until Plo Koon took her away from that life. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Somina felt such a connection to the Twi'lek, and also why she felt such responsibility for Enuma's safety. The Jedi were clearly not capable of taking care of their own, and Somina vowed to do better by Enuma than had been done for her.

Somina looked at the younger Twi'lek, and saw the sparkle of true happiness in Enuma's eyes. She felt a little joy herself, and yet still had reservations. After all, she was in the service of the Dark Lord of the Sith, and that, from what she'd encountered as a Jedi, had an inherent risk to it. Somina didn't want to subject Enuma to more trauma than she'd already been through, but Somina knew that there would be conflict to come. For now, however, Somina felt it was best to keep Enuma close. It would be far easier to protect Enuma if she knew where Enuma was.

The small ship lurched out of hyperspace near to the massive city-world of Coruscant. Even from far above, the lights of billions upon billions of buildings sparkled like diamond dust scattered on the dark velvet of night that stretched over this side of the planet. Somina could also see that several Star Destroyers, an improved version of the cruisers the Republic had used, were positioned around the Imperial capital in a defensive pattern. She knew that they likely were already detected, and she held her breath for a moment, awaiting the inevitable signal.

"Unidentified craft, what is your identification sequence?" A harsh voice spoke over the comlink. Somina hurried, flipping through the information Vader had given her for just this situation. She finally found the codes, and hit the transmit key.

"This is courier vessel _Deepstar-Zero_. Our Imperial ident code is 7743-AD26. I am in route to deliver a payload for Admiral Tarkin's staff." Somina continued to wait, anxiously, as silence came over the channel. Seconds dragged on, feeling like minutes as Somina continued to hold position, awaiting the response from the closest Star Destroyer, and hoping that the response was not a volley from the ship's turbolasers.

The comlink crackled back to life, after what felt like forever to Somina. " _Deepstar-Zero_ , you have been cleared for descent to landing platform AL-19. You will be met by an Imperial adjutant; have your credentials prepared for review."

Somina, wisely sticking to Vader's orders, followed the instructions she was given to the letter. After landing on the pad they were directed to, Somina disembarked the ship, having Enuma wait on board until after her dealings with whatever Imperial functionary came to meet them. Sure enough, a low-ranking officer walked up to the pad, and curtly nodded to Somina. "Lieutenant Commander Sulaiman, Imperial Planetary Security."

Somina nodded in return, maintaining a stone-faced facade, betraying no emotion. Inside, Somina was terrified, but in no way was she going to let this Sulaiman know that. She spoke in measured, calm tones. "Commander. I was told there wasn't going to be any problems with my approach. Admiral Tarkin is not terribly..."

"Admiral Tarkin is no longer an admiral, Ma'am. He was promoted by the Emperor himself to the position of Grand Moff. You'd be wise to remember that if you're going to be running errands for Lord Vader." Sulaiman flashed Somina a wicked grin, a grin that in that second, told Somina that Sulaiman was another of Vader's assets. She wasn't relieved, not at all, but at least she knew that Sulaiman wouldn't betray her unless told to by the one who held his leash.

Sulaiman, after Somina had covered a few minor introductions, gestured for Somina and Enuma to follow him, and they walked from the landing pad into a smaller structure that sat adjacent to the pad. Once the door was shut, Sulaiman became much less ramrod-straight and far more relaxed. "They expect certain things from Imperial officers, even if we're low men in the hierarchy. Now, Ms...Kiin, I believe...yes, Taryn Kiin...I'm to get you equipped and sent off to wherever Lord Vader is sending you. He...umm...didn't inform me you'd have a companion. It's not so much of an issue for me, of course, as she'll be with you and not me, but in the future, you might want to clear such things with him before you arrive here. It makes things run smoother, you see."

Somina looked at the officer with skepticism. "You work for Vader?"

Sulaiman laughed, a hearty laugh. "Of course I do. There's not a lot of options in the Empire for people who are..." Sulaiman pointed to his head with his right hand, as if to imply something. "You know, 'sensitive'?" Somina, her face registering understanding, nodded, and he continued. "You have three options, ultimately. If you have military and physical training, you can take your chances at joining the Royal Guard, and probably die. You can hide it from everyone, eventually be ratted out, and then definitely die. Or, as in my case, you can get on Darth Vader's good side, and be placed in the hierarchy just where he needs you. You do the job you're assigned and never let slip that you're anything but a good Imperial officer, but from time to time, Lord Vader gives you little assignments that you do without question, secretly. These things can't be found out, because if you're discovered, Lord Vader has a nasty habit of killing you from somewhere else."

Somina, increasingly skeptical, folded her arms and seemed unimpressed. "So why are you telling _me_ this?"

Sulaiman, his wicked grin growing wider, spoke softly. "Because I know if you try and mess things up for me, all I have to do is cry 'Jedi' and you, Miss Tano, are history. You think I don't recognize you? Your face was all over Coruscant not all that long ago, and I don't care if you're older. So, you see, we have a nice, stable, balanced arrangement here. I keep my mouth shut about you and your pet Twi'lek here, and you keep yours shut about me being anything but a low-level adjutant. Understood?"

Somina smiled, her grin nearly as wicked as his. "Perfectly."

Sulaiman, satisfied, turned and rummaged through some stacks of paperwork on his desk. "Now, since you're going into a very restricted and heavily patrolled zone, there's a couple things you need to know about. First, the Jedi temple itself has been sealed up since the founding of the Empire, so we don't know what might actually be in there. We suspect there's likely vagrants and other assorted lowlifes, but there's no way to know for sure; the temple is built with some sort of material that interferes with our sensors and no scans can get through. Be prepared for just about anything. Now, getting there, that's the challenge. There are gun batteries all around the damn thing that will blow anything that flies near to the structure into so many hot atoms, so you're going to have to go in on foot. Those same gun batteries won't hesitate to fire on someone walking around on foot there either, so stay out of sight and don't draw any damn attention. Once you're in, they won't be able to detect you, so from there, you've pretty much got the run of the place, assuming gundarks haven't moved in."

Somina shot him a rather nasty glare. "There are gundarks on Coruscant?"

Sulaiman remained nonplussed. "There's a lot of things people don't know about on Coruscant. Like ex-Jedi. Just watch yourself, alright? I've no desire to explain to Lord Vader why another one of his servants got made really, really dead."

Somina, perfectly content to end the conversation, turned and left, Enuma in tow. "Looks like we're going to have a bit of a walk, Enuma. You up for this?"

Enuma smiled, almost brightening the Coruscant night. "I am always ready to adventure with my friend Ahsoka."

Somina almost winced at the sound of that name. Not only was it not wise to speak the name of any Jedi, even one who walked away, here in the seat of Imperial power, but it just didn't sound right any more. Perhaps that was part of why Vader was so different from Anakin, she reasoned. "Enuma, it might not be a bad idea to not...use that name while we're here. It might lead to trouble we don't want. Just call me 'Somina', alright?"

Enuma, her painted-on eyebrow raised, seemed puzzled, but she nodded in assent nonetheless. "Somina. Alright, Somina. That's a pretty name too. Sommmmmmmmina." Enuma smiled again, and Somina felt a little more at ease. "We will have more adventures, Somina?"

Somina grinned and nodded to the Twi'lek. "We will, Enuma. Starting right away."


	9. Chapter 9

Somina, Enuma in tow, finally reached the edge of the Jedi temple grounds. It had been a long, arduous trek through some fairly rough terrain. Somina thought back to before the Clone Wars, back when she lived here, worked here. Once, this had been a place of peace and meditation, or at least that was the order claimed. She remembered how the place was always immaculately cared for, so to see it in a state of disrepair was a bit jarring for her.

Once, this place had been her entire world. As a youngling, Somina had never left the temple grounds. From the time Plo Koon had brought her there, until her apprenticeship under Anakin Skywalker, the temple was all she had known. It made sense to her, in retrospect; after all, it was easier to control how someone thinks when you controlled their entire worldview. All throughout her time in this place, they controlled who she interacted with, what she learned, how she slept, what she ate. Time and again, though she hadn't questioned it at the time, she was programmed. Somina understood, of course, the Jedi rationale for such conditioning, but she couldn't bring herself to accept it. She just could not allow it, not after what she'd seen, and definitely not after Barriss…and Anakin.

She was older now, no longer a girl. Full womanhood had come to her during her exile, and she'd tried to live her life as she chose, but the ghosts of her past dogged her. That is, they dogged her until she turned to face them, bared her teeth, and counterattacked. Now, she was no longer the prey. She was the predator. A predator that today would hunt; she had a mission to carry out, even if she wasn't yet sure of the target.

One thing was patently obvious, though, upon her return to the Jedi temple. This place was no longer what it once was. A cold, hollow feeling permeated her, like being frozen alive. This place belonged to the Dark Side now. Somina did not fear it, but she did not trust it, either. Her senses were razor-sharp, and she kept her attention focused on the slightest fluctuation in the Force. There was something here, indeed, and it was at least as much a creature of the Dark Side as she was. It was hidden from her, though, and only once in a while would a slight flicker register to her as she walked through the halls that she had once called home. It was interesting to her to see that there were absolutely no Imperial troops or even security droids inside the temple itself. The temple proper was little more than a tomb now, a cenotaph for the first to fall to Darth Vader's blade. All that remained within its walls were Somina herself, Enuma, and _something_.

"Somina, I am scared." Enuma spoke in harsh whispers, trying desperately to not be heard by the thing that lurked within the walls of the temple.

Somina's eyes never turned from the halls before her. "You should be, Enuma. Something's hunting us."

"Hunting?" Enuma sounded dangerously close to panic.

"Yes. Keep quiet. I need to concentrate."

Enuma did her best to keep herself from screaming in terror, but Somina knew it was only a matter of time before the untrained and horribly abused young Twi'lek would eventually give in to her own terror. Somina needed to have located their stalker before that happened, but she could not afford to give away her own position and abilities without knowing what she was confronting. Instead of actively probing through around her, Somina opened herself up passively to the currents of the Force. Perhaps not all of her Jedi training was wasted time, she thought to herself amusedly.

After a few interminable seconds, she felt something stir. Movement, nearly silent, nearly invisible, and not far from Somina and Enuma. Though she could perceive a general sense of malice in the temple, it seemed that the presence she sought was more curious about her than hostile. This was a great advantage for the two women, as curiosity quite often lured quarry into a trap more effectively than the most aromatic of lures.

Somina, her eyes closed, and her mind silently processing the ebb and flow of the Force all around her, sensed another move. This time the movement was closer, within a hundred meters, though it was still impossible to tell what, or who, watched them. Whatever it was, it could manipulate the Force with more skill than Somina possessed. She would have to be cautious; it could very easily annihilate her if angered.

For the moment, however, there was only curiosity. Somina fought the urge to draw her weapons, as she knew that to do so would be to challenge her stalker, and that is a challenge she would certainly lose. She was quite well attuned to the Force, but whoever she faced was far more skilled. The fact that they could hide so effectively from her attested to that. Impatience swelled up within her, but she channeled that feeling into driving her search. She was afraid, of course, perhaps even as afraid as Enuma, but Somina knew she had to keep her wits about her.

"Jedi? No. Something else." The unfamiliar voice seemed to materialize from nothing right behind her, close to her right ear. Somina swung around quickly, to see nothing at all. She looked around, and found nothing there that hadn't been there before. The shadows were deep, though, and surely hid many secrets. "You were Jedi once. You lived here. Why come back?" The voice, once again close to her ear, this time on the left, sounded almost amused. Somina forced down the torrent of rage that welled up inside of her, waiting for a more opportune moment to draw her blades. She needed to know what she was up against before she could take the situation to a conflict of arms. "There is nothing here but death, my dear. Why come back?" The voice sounded old, but not feeble; in fact, it sounded indescribably powerful.

"I have come looking for you, if I dare say. My master commanded me to seek you out. He felt a distortion in the Force, and I find you here." Somina did her best to sound fearless, but her legs shook underneath even her meager weight.

"Your master? Ah, yes. I can feel his mark upon you. Vader. Sith."

"Yes. I serve Darth Vader."

"Your emotions betray you. You served him before...as Jedi. Both of you. Interesting. I suspected Vader's identity, but had no proof. Now, I know all that I need to." Somina could feel the presence moving, preternaturally silent and quick. "Once, the Sith fascinated me, but the treacherous ways of the one that holds Vader's leash ended up giving me...divided loyalties." The malice in the voice turned the air cold, and Enuma shivered with fright. Somina had quite honestly forgotten the Twi'lek for a moment, and silently cursed her lack of vigilance. "And now, you come, conveniently, straight to my doorstep, as if I'd requested you be delivered to me. So, little turncoat, what shall it be?" The voice was now directly in her right ear. "Fight, or talk? You must choose," the whispering voice rasped.

Somina's hands rested upon the hilts of her lightsabers, as if they were ready to ignite the blades without the consent of her conscious mind. She could not allow herself to show weakness, even in the face of certain oblivion. "You choose."

If derisive laughter could cause a disturbance in the Force, Somina would definitely have felt it. She could hear the presence's amusement as it scoffed at her. She could feel it far stronger now, feel the presence circling her like a shark circling its prey. Somina did not know what would happen next, but she felt ready to respond to whatever came to pass. She certainly had a adequate supply of emotion to drive her, should it come to conflict.

With a snap, and a sizzling sound, a bright red lightsaber blade appeared just under her chin. The choice was made, and Somina was prepared to react. Using the power of her fear and anger unleashed, Somina moved impossibly fast, snapping both of her blades to life and swinging with all her force at whatever stood behind her.

The blades sliced cleanly through empty air.

Cruel, mocking laughter filled the vaulted chamber as a frustrated Somina searched for any sign of movement, any sign that might betray the position of her assailant. She fought to keep control, to keep her wits about her, but the laughter was driving her closer to the edge. Somina swore loudly enough to make Enuma blush slightly, and the laughter continued unabated.

"Delicious. Your hatred overflows, rolls over the breakwater like an unstoppable flood. But what, I wonder, do you plan to do with it? Can you do ANYTHING with it? Can you keep even your little friend safe?"

Somina's head turned sharply to Enuma, but the Twi'lek was gone, replaced with louder, more raucous laughter. "Vader has no claim to the name 'Sith'. And you, you are a bad joke, told poorly. You deny the Jedi, deny their ways, and then cling to them desperately, like a child clinging to her mother's leg. You think you know the Dark Side, but you haven't the first clue."

"You are a fraud. It will be my pleasure to erase the latest of Vader's mistakes."

Somina felt the air around her feel charged, as if suddenly electrified. A blast of consuming heat slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her to the ground. A glowing, red blur could occasionally be seen near to her, but it never stayed visible for more than a second. There was no laughter any longer; the games had ended.

Somina climbed to her feet as quickly as she could, only to have another blast of searing heat knock her to her knees. She sensed a small tremor in the Force, and dodged to her right, narrowly escaping the flash of red light that sizzled within millimeters of one of her montrals. Whoever was assaulting her was powerful, more powerful than she'd seen in a very long time, but with power there was always a price. She could sense, microseconds before it happened, when the attacker was about to make a move. It was keeping her head attached to her neck, but she needed to push it further. She steadied herself with one arm, coiling herself like a snake about to strike.

Another tremor, and she lashed out a strike with every bit of pain, rage and humiliation she felt, and connected with something. A satisfying roar of pain filled the chamber, and Somina climbed to her feet once again. She cleared her mind of everything except for the desire to destroy her opposition, and readied both blades. "You're not giving up so easily, are you?"

A confident sneer was the only response she received before a flash of brilliant red lashed out at her again, but she was prepared. She recognized the pattern, knowing it to be one of the most difficult of the combat styles adopted by the Jedi as well as the Sith, one practiced by very few. Somina herself was not particularly adept at this style, but she at least knew what to expect.

Somina expertly dodged out of the way of each strike, as they came in brutal flurries of blows. Clearly, she had angered her attacker, and that was her one advantage she could press. She had to enrage her opponent into making a mistake, and then she would have him. "You're lucky you're facing me and not Vader. He'd have disposed of you already. I needed a good workout, and you've provided an adequate one so far."

"INSOLENT WHELP!" Somina could almost feel the rage in that voice. It was working, and she had to push harder, hoping to trip up her attacker. It was a gamble; he likely became stronger as his rage grew. She took heart in knowing that now, so did she.

"I'm getting bored, sleemo!" Somina laughed back at her attacker. The blows came in a torrent, but most were easily evaded. Then, almost as if they'd never happened in the first place, the attacks stopped. The laughter of the invisible assailant could be heard, quickly moving down the nearest corridor.

Somina's blood ran cold when she heard the voice speak once again. "The girl dies unless you can stop me, child. Time is short; don't delay."

Somina had no choice; she had to find her attacker, and stop him from harming Enuma. If she couldn't even protect one person, what was the point of any of this? She would not be proven to be so useless so soon into her new journey. It only left one question that gnawed at the back of Somina's mind; how would she stop the unstoppable?

Only brief tremors in the Force could warn her of an attack, and that generally didn't give her an impression of where the attack came from. She could only trust her instincts, and hope that her strength was enough to deflect the hammer blows her opponent dealt. Whatever it was, it was stronger than her in both physical might and command of the Force. If she didn't know better, she'd swear it was Sith, but such a thing was impossible. Her master himself had said that in all the galaxy, only he and his master were Sith. Whatever this attacker might be, he was too strong for Somina to defeat toe-to-toe. She held hope that she could outwit him.

Somina started down the long corridor that led into the old atrium of the temple. She remembered the times she and Barriss would walk through this place, talking about where they would go once they were fully Jedi Knights. She thought back to half-remembered daydreams of forbidden love. She also reminded herself that all of these things had been destroyed like a ship dashed upon rocks in a storm. The mocking laughter, though it sounded distant, haunted her with every step. She followed the sound to a half-destroyed door, and walked into an old training room.

It was the very room that Darth Vader had first slaughtered Jedi younglings. Little remained of the younglings that perished here, as many years had passed, and carrion beasts were most efficient at stripping carcasses. Random bones and scraps of brown and tan cloth lay strewn about on the floor. Near the far wall, close to a window overlooking the endlessly-expansive city that was Coruscant, Enuma stood, frozen in terror. A gloved hand held a lightsaber, the blade glowing red as blood, to her throat, with the glow of the blade illuminating her terrified features. The figure itself was not of unusual size, at least that Somina could tell. It was hooded, and its face was completely obscured.

"That's far enough, child. We wouldn't want our mutual friend to go losing her head over this, would we?" The attacker, malice and mockery blatant in his tone, seemed to almost be trying to goad HER on. It was to be a tightrope walk, then, between cold precision and the flames of impassioned battle. Thus, Somina reasoned, was the nature of the Dark Side.

"Release her," Somina growled through gritted teeth. "She is no challenge for you."

The figure laughed, and yet didn't move at all. "YOU are no challenge for me, child. I've been toying with you, don't you see? I have yet to unleash all my might, because you are not worth the effort. I could exterminate you with a thought, if I wished."

"Then wish. Or are you afraid?"

"AFRAID?!" Somina fought back a sly grin as the attacker exploded with rage. "What do you know of afraid? What festering pits have you sought refuge in after having had your life stolen from you? Forced to scavenge what you can just to survive, all the while feeling what remains of your mind slowly leach away into the ground like so much rainwater…what do you possibly know of FEAR? I shall give you your first lesson in TRUE fear, worm!"

The figure threw Enuma to the ground roughly, and she landed with a pained cry. With one swift movement, almost faster than her eye could track, the figure switched off the lightsaber, and unfastened of the clasp holding the hooded cloak over him. The cloak fell away, revealing the red and black skin, and bright yellow eyes. Several horns, obviously sharpened, circled the crown of his head. Her assailant was a Zabrak, and Somina knew exactly _which_ Zabrak it was.

"Maul," Somina whispered, without thinking.

"I am touched, child, that you even know the name. I doubt it is something taught to you by Vader. Perhaps your former master, your Jedi mentor, knew of me…yes…I sense that you were apprenticed to…Skywalker." Maul laughed coldly "Your hatred makes you powerful, little worm, but you would do well to learn to shield your thoughts. If I allow you to live, that is." Maul ignited his lightsaber, the red glow making him seem even more demonic than he did at first look.

"How many times are you going to die, Maul?" Somina was herself terrified, but dared not let it show. Maul had already tore secrets from her mind with barely an effort, so she could not afford to give him further advantages. She steadied herself, entering a defensive posture, and prepared for the barrage.

Maul did not disappoint. Reaching out through the Force, Maul hit Somina with a monstrous concussive blast, one that knocked her back several meters before she could regain her footing. She leapt forward, just outside of Maul's apparent reach, both lightsabers flaring. The sight of such a feared monster taking pleasure in her destruction chilled Somina to her very core. Maul had been right; she was not even close to his ability. She had rarely used her skills during her exile on Praxigor, but Maul moved like someone born and bred for war. Every move he made was purposeful; nothing was wasted effort. She knew very well that the only reason she still lived was that it amused him to allow it to be so. Somina wondered if this is how it would be if she ever fought her master.

Somina was certain that she would never see her master again.

Maul raised his hand, closing it into a tight fist, and Somina felt her throat be crushed, only Maul's grip seemed so much more powerful than she had experienced before. She remembered stories Obi-wan Kenobi had told her about Maul's skill, and even Kenobi's penchant for exaggeration did not do the monstrous Zabrak justice. If anything, he was even stronger than when he'd fought Kenobi years ago on Mandalore, and even then, Kenobi had nearly been annihilated by Maul's power. If not for the interference of the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, Maul would have had another Jedi kill.

There was no time for reminiscence, though, because if she didn't act fast, Maul would annihilate her.

Maul pulled his fist back, and Somina moved along with it. He smashed her into nearby walls and columns, brutally tearing her apart. She bled now from a dozen wounds, and she found herself losing consciousness quickly. She had to act, immediately, because she dare not fail Darth Vader.

While Maul was distracted with sadistic glee as he threw Somina around like a child's toy, she used what little lucidity she had left to reach out with the Force, take hold of a nearby sculpture, and using the burning hatred and terror in her, propel the sculpture at Maul's face.

The sculpture flew across the room at preternatural speed, and Maul did not have time to react quickly enough to avoid it. It smashed into his face, knocking him off his feet with another howl of rage and pain. His concentration broken, the choke hold he had on Somina vanished, and she landed on the ground, gasping for air. Not wasting any time, Somina ignited her lightsabers again, and this time, charged Maul with reckless abandon, her anger and fear powering her with greater strength than she thought she'd have available to her.

Maul, not expecting such a ridiculous move from the younger combatant, was taken off-guard, and only managed to dodge the slash of Somina's blades by millimeters. He leapt into the air and landed several meters away from Somina, igniting his blade once more. Somina, without even thinking, lashed out through the Force, causing a concussive blast that nearly tore Maul's head off. Before Maul could reposition himself, Somina had him in a choke of her own, if only through sheer hatred and determination. Maul did not struggle; instead, he seemed almost to welcome oblivion. Somina, puzzled by this, lowered Maul to the ground, allowing him to fall to his knees before releasing the choke.

"Why are you here?" Somina demanded.

Maul, looking up at her with what Somina could only interpret as amazement, suddenly smiled, his vile, stained teeth reflecting the rot of his spirit. "Vader sent you to find out why I was rooting around, didn't he?" Maul laughed, once again the laugh that mocked her. I begin to see why chose you, child. When you rely on discipline and form, you are predictable and easy to overwhelm. It is when you let go, when you let your hatred and rage guide you, that you become dangerous." Another toothy smile, as if to continue to goad Somina. "Stupid, but dangerous. A vicious animal. Appropriate for Vader's little pet."

Somina raised her hand just as she'd seen Maul do, trying to choke the life from him, but it only seemed to work half as well. Maul was clearly in discomfort, but not in deadly danger. She cursed her own ineffectiveness, but still kept the choke on Maul as much as she could. "Why are you here?"

"Holocron…hidden from…most of the Jedi…Empire didn't know about it," Maul managed to get out between labored breaths. "Only a few…Jedi knew…"

Somina came closer, her malice becoming more visible as her patience with the Zabrak was rapidly evaporating. "Where?"

She could feel the rage boiling up within herself, and subsequently felt the grip on Maul grow tighter and more painful. "I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Maul. WHERE?"

Though the pain he was experiencing was clear in his eyes, there was also a degree of madness there that Somina could only have seen had she been as close to the monster as she was. He likely would have been laughing, had there been breath in his lungs. He forcibly drew in a breath, and his response wheezed out. "Vault…hidden…even from other Jedi…only a couple knew of it…I can show you…"

His eyes, those insane, yellow eyes, narrowed at Somina slightly. "But you can never go back…once you see it…"

"Good." She released the grip on Maul, and the Zabrak took in a loud, deep breath. "I look forward to seeing it."

Maul panted for a moment, catching his breath. He climbed to his feet, and trained his gaze upon Somina. He looked her over for a moment, sizing her up. "You have tasted the first fruits of the Dark Side, child, but you have yet to scratch the surface."

"It was enough to beat you."

Maul laughed, this time the mockery was even more apparent. "You never 'beat' me, whelp. You caught me with a lucky shot, one that you didn't even intentionally take. You are unskilled and haven't the first idea about your real potential. You couldn't have taken skilled swordsmen like Dooku…" Those teeth flashed at her again. "…Much less someone like me."

Maul circled around her, this time slowly and deliberately. He wanted Somina to know he was appraising her abilities, and he wanted her to know they did not meet expectation. "When you let go, though…you become quite formidable indeed. Perhaps if you can unite the logical, thinking warrior with the rampaging beast, then you might prove yourself…worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Somina's patience was nearly exhausted.

"Worthy of seeing what is in that holocron I have come for. You don't really think I'll just let you take it back to your dear master, do you? I don't suppose you have a name, do you? Let me guess; it starts with 'Darth', doesn't it?"

Somina stood, her chin lifted slightly in the air, in a pose of defiant pride. "Yes. I am Darth Somina, apprentice to Lord Vader."

"Somina, eh? I've never heard of you. Unless…no, you couldn't be. Ahsoka Tano, is it? Mind your thoughts, child. You give me far more information than I have given to you. Everything is just on the table with you, isn't it? All your horrid experiences with the Jedi, all that loathsome meditation, all the lies and betrayal that you could ever hope for, all on the pages of the book of your mind. Easily plucked from you, like the feathers of the fowl I plan to eat. Vader cares little for your mind's security; perhaps if you can show some improvement in your skills…you could learn from me."

Somina's anger began to boil her blood. "How dare you! I would never betray my master!"

"YOUR MASTER HAS ALREADY BETRAYED YOU!" Maul's bellow echoed through the empty halls of the temple. Enuma, curled in a fetal position in the far corner of the room, yelped in terror as the Zabrak berated Somina. "He sent you here to find me. Either you were to kill me, which is laughable, or you were to die by my hand, which is still quite likely. You don't understand the way the Sith think, child. You expect honor and trust, and these things simply do not exist amongst the Sith. It is now, and always, survival of the strongest. The apprentice rises and destroys his master, and the cycle continues. That being said, if Vader has taken you as an apprentice, then it can be assumed that he plans to destroy the _beloved_ Emperor."

"Interesting. If his intent is to kill Sidious, then perhaps it makes more sense that he sent you to me. You see, I want little more in all the galaxy than to see Darth Sidious dead. If he intends to use you to that end, the effort will fail miserably, all things being as they are. But if I train you…"

Maul stopped circling Somina, his eyes boring directly into her brain. "You might stand a slim chance of succeeding."

He extended his hand out, and the crumpled cloak flew from the floor into his grip, and he threw it over his shoulders. "Dathomir. Six rotations from now. There is a small village where the males of my kin dwell. Be outside that town. If you are not…be prepared to be hunted, and this time, I will not hold back."

Maul seemingly vanished from view, without a sound. Somina, exhausted, slumped down to the cold stone floor, landing on her shins with a heavy thud. Maul had nearly destroyed her, seemingly without effort, and reminded her repeatedly that he wasn't even using all his skills. If she couldn't even defeat someone like Maul, how was she going to stop someone as powerful as Emperor Palpatine? Even Vader spoke of the Emperor in hushed tones. What could she possibly do to such a being?

"Somina…" A soft voice broke Somina out of her thoughts. She turned quickly to see Enuma, curled up in a far corner, slowly rocking back and forth as if to some unheard melody. "Somina, why did that man want to hurt you?"

"It's difficult to explain. He just…enjoys hurting people. Not like me, not like us. We protect people from people like him."

"But you couldn't stop him, Somina."

"No, I couldn't. Not yet. But I will get stronger, Enuma, I promise. No one is going to hurt you again. I promised you that already, and he didn't hurt you. He scared you, yes, and I will make sure he pays for that, but you are safe, right?"

Enuma nodded, and abruptly embraced Somina, clutching to her tightly. "I trust you, Somina. I will get stronger too, so I can help you."

Somina, feeling odd at this sudden intimacy, could only return the embrace, holding the sobbing Twi'lek tightly, trying to calm Enuma while at the same time trying to calm herself. Sometimes, she found herself missing Jedi stoicism.

Enuma lifted her head away from Somina's shoulder, her deep violet eyes sparkling in the dim light. She smiled, a smile of genuine affection, and ran her hand down the side of Somina's face. "I will prove a good friend and ally to you, Somina." Enuma softly kissed Somina on the cheek, and laid her head back upon the Togruta's shoulder. Darth Somina, apprentice to Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, could think of no words to speak, and no actions to take, so she just held the Twi'lek close.


	10. Chapter 10

Some time had passed since Maul's departure, but Enuma still clung tightly to Somina. The young Sith apprentice was uncomfortable with the clinginess of the Twi'lek, but she couldn't really say why she was uncomfortable. Undoubtedly, after a life led without the comfort of simple touch, Somina found any contact with another being awkward at the very least. Jedi were not the most intimate of companions, even though physical contact wasn't outright forbidden.

Somina thought back to her days as a Jedi, and she couldn't help but wonder if that part of her life had damaged her somehow. Attachment was forbidden, of course, but how could you possibly deny a part of your nature indefinitely? She didn't know; all she knew was that a young Twi'lek clung to her like a frightened child. In a way, Somina mused, Enuma _was_ a child. She'd demonstrated an emotional immaturity that Somina had seen all too often in people that had been brought up as slaves, especially the ones that were the most severely abused. Somina had seen what Bib Fortuna had waiting for Enuma for her disobedience, and the thought in one chilled and strengthened her. She had done the right thing, and Enuma was safe and alive because of it.

Somina looked the young Twi'lek over. In many ways, Enuma was far from a child as well. It was fairly common for slavemasters to feed Twi'lek girls just enough to keep some meat on their bones. There was a certain aesthetic that was popular with Twi'lek females, and Enuma certainly adhered to it. She was curvy, but not overly so. Thin, but not starving. Her blue-green skin shone with a certain degree of health, so Somina knew at the very least, Bib Fortuna had fed the girl. Somina could see no visible scars, but Enuma was also fully clothed, wearing some spare clothes Somina had brought with her once she left Proxigor VI. She certainly was not clad in the fetish harnesses and lingerie that were so common with Twi'lek slave girls. Enuma had left that behind once they fled the Hutt-controlled world, and it was good riddance to bad rubbish. Still, even when terrified, even when dressed in clothing slightly too snug for her, Enuma was stunning. Her lekku, thick and healthy, hung down on either side of her head. They were nearly even in length, which Somina had to wonder if they had been trimmed to appear so. The Hutts and their associates were known to commit such barbaric acts against slaves, all for the aesthetic pleasure of their masters. Somina found herself running a finger along the length of one of her own lekku, the smooth skin soft to her touch. No one had ever touched her lekku, not once, except for herself. It wasn't surprising, considering that the lekku in both Twi'lek and Togruta alike were extremely sensitive. A great deal of their nervous system was contained within the lekku, and they were considered intimate, even erogenous. Physical intimacy was hardly a benchmark of the Jedi, of course, but now the path she walked almost begged for indulgence. Who, she thought with a smile, would be the one to touch her in such a way? The thought calmed her somewhat, but still she couldn't help but wonder; what was it about this girl's innocent act of touch that caused her such consternation?

"Somina, are you alright? You are staring at me."

Somina shook her head slightly, coming out of her reverie. "I…I'm fine, Enuma, just thinking about things."

Enuma smiled, and Somina felt like the world lightened just a little. "Ah, thinking about things is good, Somina. I think about a lot of things. Going swimming, climbing the tallest mountain, a delicious meal…"

"Going swimming?" Somina was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, Somina. I used to go swim in the lakes near my home before…before I was sold. I think about how it would feel to do so again."

Somina, a smile spreading across her narrow face, turned to look Enuma in the eyes. "Then you will have to wonder no more. Come on, I have an idea."

Somina, with her Twi'lek compatriot in tow, made good time getting back to the small station where Sulaiman sat, his feet propped up on his desk. Somina summed up what she had seen quickly to the officer, letting him know that she intended to praise his efforts to her master. Satisfied with that, Sulaiman directed her on a course away from Coruscant, just out of the range of most Imperial scanners, and out of sight of the orbiting fleet of Star Destroyers. Somina wasted no time in getting back to her ship, and getting off the surface of that accursed planet. She did not like reminders of her past. Her future was far too interesting to look back any longer.

Somehow, some way, Darth Somina would ensure that Enuma would go swimming.

As Somina's ship lifted off the pad and sped towards the sky, yellow eyes watched from the shadows, and a gravelly laugh welled up from the darkest depths. "The seed is already planted, my friend. Your plan is coming perfectly to fruition."

A deep, yet world-weary voice, the voice of a tired, old man, crackled from the comlink held by the shadowed figure. "Good. The first stage is done, then. Track them. I want to know where the apprentice goes at all times. When the time comes, I want to be able to take her alive."

Horrible teeth twisted into a wicked grin. "Oh, don't worry about that, my friend," said Maul to his unseen comrade. "When the time comes, she will give herself to us willingly." The gravelly laugh echoed through the shadowed places around the landing pad as Somina streaked into the sky.

Aboard Somina's small ship, she and Enuma sat in the command module, idly passing the time while in hyperspace. Somina had realized that she'd not had much chance to really talk with Enuma, as events had unfolded rather quickly since Enuma had joined her on Praxigor VI. Enuma had been resistant at first to striking up conversation, as the scars of her life as a slave still bled. In time, though, it was as if a dam had burst, and Enuma spoke at length regarding just about any topic Somina could mention. Enuma mentioned, for example, that she had been born on Ryloth, but yet had no memories of it besides fleeting remembrances of her family, ones she barely could comprehend. She remembered that she had a mother and a sister at home, and that her father was a military officer. Beyond that, Enuma had little recollection of her youth. Most of her time was spent in the service of one master or another. She'd been sold several times, the last time to Bib Fortuna himself. Bib Fortuna was not her cruelest master, either. That dubious honor belonged to a renegade Hutt named Volakk, who would frequently have Enuma whipped for no reason at all, besides his own amusement. Volakk had also subjected Enuma to more horrible violations, but Enuma refused to go into detail about those situations. Volakk had been terminated under a contract put out by Jabba himself, and so she came into Jabba's possession. Bib Fortuna purchased the attractive Twi'lek from his master, and so the story goes.

Somina sat, enraptured by Enuma's tale of suffering and hardship, and she couldn't help but to think that Enuma would make a fantastic Sith, with all the anger and hatred she must feel for the individuals who had progressively broken her throughout her entire life. Somina knew that Vader would not tolerate such a thing, but the thought did linger in the back of her mind. After all, how much easier would it be if Enuma had combat skills of her own?

Somina made a mental note to try and test Enuma to see if she was indeed capable of sensing the Force. All the training in all the galaxy would be meaningless if Enuma lacked the capability. Somina had heard of more esoteric ways of making individuals Force-sensitive, but those generally involved dark sorcery, and Somina wasn't the most trusting of witches.

Then again, Somina _was_ planning to go to Dathomir. The Force truly moved in mysterious ways.

"Somina, have you ever…loved someone?"

Enuma's question cut through Somina's thoughts, and tore through her as if right down to bare bone. Somina was caught off-guard, and didn't have a well-thought-out answer to provide. "I, uh…that's…I mean, Jedi don't…"

Enuma's smirk confirmed that the Twi'lek knew she'd hit a nerve. Somina wasn't sure that such openness about her heart was a good idea, even with someone as seemingly innocent as Enuma. Somina was still of a frame of mind that she needed to guard her own feelings, especially after Maul had so easily plucked them from her. Still, there was something about the Twi'lek, something that put Somina at ease.

"Yes. I loved someone very much once. But I never told him, and he's gone now."

Enuma's smile fell away quickly, and a look of distinct sorrow appeared on the Twi'lek's face. "I am…sorry, Somina…I should not have intruded. I know you carry many burdens, Somina. I can sometimes almost feel your heart, and how heavy it is. I did not know you were in love, but I knew there was something that weighed you down. I am sorry, my friend."

"You…what?" Somina wasn't sure she'd heard Enuma correctly.

"I can sometimes almost feel your heart, Somina. I have done this before, where I just know how someone is feeling. It kept me from being hurt many times as a slave. When you bring your master the very thing he was thinking of having, he just believes you are trained properly and he congratulates himself instead of punishing you. It didn't always save me, but many times I might have died otherwise."

Somina could not believe her luck. If she understood Enuma correctly, the Twi'lek was showing signs of basic manipulation of the Force. Unfortunately, it also meant that Maul was right, and she needed to learn to guard her thoughts and feelings more carefully.

"Did I do something…bad?" Enuma swallowed hard, almost expecting Somina to lash out at her. It always seemed to be the inevitable consequence of many actions in her past.

"No…not at all, Enuma. In many ways, what you're describing means that you can touch the Force, just like I can. I think in time, and with proper training, you might just be as good as I am."

Enuma smiled and laughed. "I will never be as good as you, Somina, but it would make me very happy to be of help to you. Maybe you will help me get one of your glowing swords?"

It was Somina's turn to laugh, and she did with abandon. She was starting to relax a bit after her intense encounter with Maul, and it felt good to just express herself. She felt so much freer now than she ever had as a Jedi. Free even to…

Her eyes were once again fixed on Enuma. Somina had never really felt anything close to romantic attraction before, save that she had for Anakin Skywalker. That one was, of course, never even spoken about, much less pursued. She was all but ignorant of how these sort of feelings really worked, having been trained from an early age that such things were not in her destiny. Still, even with some facet of her feelings for Anakin having been acted upon, if even just in the illusionary netherworld of the Sith temple, she felt incomplete. With the illusion of Anakin, it had been little more than raw passion and lust, the surrender to the biochemical desire for sex. There were, she'd found, many things that appealed to her about a great many people she'd had experiences with. Lux Bonteri had been charming and sweet, to the point where temptation nearly had gotten the better of her. Anakin had been strong, brash, and bold, swaggering his way into her heart. Even people such as Maul had attractive qualities about them, though Somina had no intention of pursuing any sort of relationship with the former Sith apprentice. Physical attraction was, indeed, a fairly commonplace thing. There was something else present, though, when Somina spent time with Enuma. She'd felt something strong for the Twi'lek since she'd first met her. There was a sense of great anger at Enuma's condition, and a strong impulse to protect the girl from her cruel master. Somina had never questioned why she would feel something like that for a stranger; she just thought it was the right thing to do, and it was. But here, now…after getting to know her a little better…Somina wondered if there wasn't more there.

Enuma seemed oblivious to it, which was fine. Somina had no desire to push things in a direction that wasn't the best one for Enuma. She'd just been freed, then stolen away from the life she knew in a hail of blaster bolts, spirited away to the site of a massacre, hunted by an insane Sith, then discovered after all that that she might, in fact, be Force-sensitive. Somina felt that was adequate for one day's revelations, and put such thoughts from her mind. Jedi stoicism had its place, from time to time.

Somina smiled, an honest, caring smile. "I'll help you build your own, when the time comes."

Enuma cocked her head slightly, as if suddenly confused by something. Then, her eyes widened, as if she'd thought of something exciting that she wanted to share. Her face lit up with surprise, and perhaps even a little embarrassment, and she unconsciously clasped her hands over her now-hanging-open mouth. A beat passed, and Enuma's face slowly slid into an expression of an almost cocky knowingness, as if she'd figured something out she wasn't supposed to. Somina wasn't sure what that was, though she feared perhaps Enuma had caught a little of her previous train of thought. Somina quietly sighed as she directed her attention to the various controls and indicators on the instrumentation panel in front of her. They were still in hyperspace, though, so the controls really needed no tending.

"Do you love me, Somina?"

Somina's head turned sharply back in the direction of the Twi'lek at that. She was almost startled by the bluntness of the question. She silently cursed herself for her weak mind, and tried to think of a way out of this mess.

"I would believe you if you said you did."

Somina's smile slid away, replaced by a grimace of denial. "I just met you."

Enuma shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I already love _you_. You saved me."

"That doesn't mean you owe me your love, or your life, Enuma."

"I don't _owe_ you anything. But my heart is light when I think of you. I am so happy when I am at your side, Somina. I am not asking anything from you, I just want to know. Do you love me?"

Somina sat in silence for an indeterminate amount of time. She was stunned at the Twi'lek's bold confession. Surely such a thing wasn't good for the girl just now, regardless of how either of them might feel. There was much that needed to be done yet, things she didn't necessarily think she'd want Enuma to see. Then, there was the whole mess that was her own life. Somina wasn't sure it was a good idea for _her_ to get involved with someone, never mind the girl. Perhaps, though, it might be a good idea to clear the air between them, be honest with each other. Enuma had said she wasn't asking for anything, so there was no demand for a relationship.

Somina was tired of lies anyway. The Jedi had lied to her. She wasn't going to lie to Enuma.

"Yes. I do."

Enuma slid out of the chair and leaned over a panic-stricken Somina, looking her in the eyes. Enuma moved in close, and kissed Somina softly on her forehead, at the base of her montrals. Her smile was brighter than a gamma ray burst and a million times more beautiful to Somina's eyes. Enuma gently ran her hand down Somina's cheek and whispered to her. "Good."


	11. Chapter 11

Far from Darth Somina and her Twi'lek companion, on the Hutt-controlled planet of Nar Shaddaa, two men walked quickly through the corridors of a casino, both hooded, both moving with purpose. Neither man's face was readily visible, but what did show displayed grim determination. They acknowledged no one that they passed, and everyone that was in their path stepped out of that path quickly. These were men to be feared, as demonstrated by their demeanor.

"The apprentice has taken the bait, my friend. We now have the most potent weapon we could possibly have." Maul's voice was unmistakable to any that had heard it. It had been the last voice many people had heard. "The time is rapidly approaching when we will be able to act with impunity. And then…"

"…and then, 'friend', we will do what we must. There has been too much planning and too much manipulation to undo it all with a premature strike. We must wait until the vulnerability is completely exploitable." The other man, who's voice was that of the tired, old man to whom Maul had previously spoken, was clearly agitated. A tangled mess of a gray beard covered what little of his lower face would have been visible from under the hood. He was clearly restraining himself from exploding in rage, and even though Maul was still of the 'unleash-your-feelings' school of thought taught to him by the Sith, he understood the need for a clear head and a calm demeanor, especially when speaking in public. Maul was not used to meeting his 'friend' in public, as their discussions had always taken place privately. He wasn't certain what the old man hoped to achieve with them being so exposed.

"It IS exploitable now! Has our mutual irritation not already taken the Togruta back under his wing? Her power has grown by quite a lot since her new education began. Soon, she will realize her place in our undertaking. And then, and only then, my old master will be vulnerable as he's never been before." Maul saw it as being quite simple. The plan was unfolding well, even with an unexpectedly potent opponent in the young Darth Somina.

"You lack foresight. Vader is not to be underestimated. We don't know just how tightly the Emperor holds his leash, but from what I've seen, Palpatine holds it quite tightly indeed. The apprentice may not be a challenge to win over, but Vader will be. Especially when he realizes who is behind this." The old man curled his mouth into a vicious grin, only barely concealed by the beard. "I have long awaited the day when I could repay the favor Darth Vader has done me." The older man raised his right hand, which was gloved, into a fist.

Maul couldn't help but laugh at the gesture. "There seems to be a lot of that going around. Jedi, current and former, do seem to enjoy cleaving hands from arms. All except…" Maul looked down at his own body, a reminder of what had come before. "Kenobi."

The old man clapped his hand on Maul's shoulder, and responded with a laugh of his own. "Kenobi isn't an issue this time. I find it unlikely we'll hear from him any time soon. My sources tell me he's gone into exile, though they won't say why."

Maul's grin faded as he turned to face the old man. "I'd utilize him if I had to. The mission is all that matters now," Maul hissed.

"I know, comrade. Come, let's have a drink and wait for word from our new agent."

Maul seemed confused. "Am I not to meet her on Dathomir?"

The old man smiled once more. "No. I have another agent for that purpose."

Half a galaxy away, the small ship that Somina and Enuma had come to call home entered into orbit around the planet Dathomir. Enuma had taken it upon herself to christen the vessel "Two-Hearts", saying it was fitting to do so as the ship had facilitated their finding one another, and though they were still trying to sort out in their minds where all this was leading, they had confessed their love for one another, and that seemed to be all they needed at the moment. Somina liked the idea of their home being a union of two; she saw a lot of that in every facet of her life now. The two sides of the Force were coming together to form a coherent whole for her, as her knowledge of both the Dark Side and the Light were growing. She felt strong, confident, able to protect those she cared about. She was ready to defend her beloved Enuma against everything that would come against them, and also ready to begin training Enuma to use her gifts as well.

"Beloved, we are in stable orbit around Dathomir. Shall we remain here and await word from Mr. Maul?" Enuma seemed even happier than usual, and her cheer was infectious. Somina just felt so…good…around her that she could scarcely understand it. Her feelings for Anakin aside, Somina had never felt like this, where she felt so warm and safe herself. Enuma wanted to defend her as well, and Somina believed earnestly that Enuma could be quite gifted with time.

Somina climbed out of the command chair, and stood behind Enuma. The desire to drape her arms around the Twi'lek was nearly undeniable, but Somina still somehow kept herself from physically touching Enuma. She wasn't entirely sure why she was so averse to touching Enuma, as their feelings for each other were quite clear, but Somina felt that right at this moment it was just better to keep her desires at arms' length. She needed focus, for if Maul was in fact waiting for her on Dathomir, no doubt she would face the greatest challenge of her life. If she was to prove herself worthy of her master, and worthy of her beloved, she needed to keep that razor's edge.

Still, however unconsciously, Somina's hand lightly grazed one of Enuma's lekku, and the Twi'lek shivered with delight. Focus wasn't needed _**right now**_. "Yes, Enuma. We will wait. I'm sure we'll hear from him soon."

Enuma rose from her chair, and, with a delighted twinkle in her eyes, quickly turned and caught Somina in a deep, passionate kiss. Somina stood, stunned, unsure of what to do, and after a few moments of the kiss, Enuma pulled back, a puzzled look on her face. "I do not understand, beloved. Do you not find me attractive?"

Somina, caught without a ready answer, stood silent for a moment, a look of panic clearly showing on her face. She had no smooth, wise-sounding answer like so many Jedi had for so many of her questions, but nothing articulate came to her mind. "I…I…" Somina couldn't get out another word, and so stopped her stuttering mid-syllable. She closed her eyes briefly, and took a breath. Somina willed herself into calmness, and once more tried to speak. "It's not that at all, Enuma. It's just…as a Jedi, we were taught to not develop attachments. No attachments means no relationships…and subsequently…"

At that, Enuma's eyes went impossibly wide. Her lips puckered slightly as realization dawned on her. "Ohhhh. You do not know what to do, since you have not done such things before! I am sorry, beloved. I misunderstood your touching my lek. To touch your beloved's lekku is a highly intimate thing, and it is almost always meant as an overture. I am so sorry if I misunderstood, Somina. I thought…well…since we had so much time…that you wanted me." Enuma's eyes turned downwards to the floor, and Somina's heart sunk with them.

Somina reached out to Enuma, and stroked Enuma's cheek with the back of her right hand. "I do. I want to. I just don't know…how…how two females…make love."

Enuma turned her eyes back to Somina's gaze. Enuma tried to smile through tears that were starting to form in her perfect violet eyes. "When you are ready…I will show you."

Somina pulled Enuma close to her, taking Enuma in her arms and holding her tightly. "I hope you will. I have much to learn from you, as well."

The moment was broken up by a beeping sound coming from the command panel. Somina's eyes darted to the panel, assessing the situation. It was only an incoming comm signal, but in truth Somina welcomed anything that would end that interminably awkward scenario. Somina, releasing the embrace, but still keeping the fingers of her right hand interlocked with those of Enuma, examined the readout about the comm panel, and her heart sunk with what she saw.

The incoming signal was from the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_ , which meant it was her master. She'd only traded one awkward situation for another. Nevertheless, she had little choice; she had to respond to his call, for Darth Vader wasn't known for his patience.

Somina activated the communications system. "I await your instructions, my master."

"Apprentice, report what you have learned from the Jedi temple." It was nearly impossible to discern his state of mind from the sound of his voice. It wasn't at all like Anakin's actual voice; instead it was cold, mechanical, synthetic, much like what Vader himself had become. Somina was greatly disturbed thinking about that which could have changed him so much. There was some great trauma there, and he hid it so deeply that it may never be known.

Still, Somina could easily discern impatience in his tone, and reported immediately. "Upon arrival at the Jedi temple, I was accosted by the one called Maul. Apparently, he made it off Mandalore before everything started. He claimed he was looking for a lost holocron, but that was only after he attacked me, and I managed to somehow get him to stop."

A moment passed in silence. Somina swallowed unconsciously, remembering stories that Sulaiman had related to her about Vader's methods of discipline. "So, the castoff apprentice proves himself resilient. And once he had related the story to you?" Vader betrayed no emotion in his voice, but Somina believed that he was likely seething.

Somina's tone took a very conciliatory one, hoping to assuage his anger. "He dared me to come to Dathomir in six rotations to confront him again."

Vader responded much faster than Somina expected. "Confront him. Destroy him. Once you have done this, the Emperor will no longer be as suspicious of our movements. The ability to act without scrutiny is of the utmost importance. Be warned, though, my apprentice: Maul has slain Jedi Masters with ease. For whatever reason, I suspect he held back, but will not do so on Dathomir. Report to me once he is dispatched." The signal went silent after that, and Somina was left with a massive problem. Vader had essentially told her that if she didn't come back with Maul's head, she wasn't to come back at all.

Enuma knew that her beloved was dejected, and slid her arms around Somina's slender body. Somina truly enjoyed the feeling of Enuma close to her, touching her, but was utterly clueless as to the ways of romance. Besides, right now she was far too worried about her continued existence. She had been able to satisfy Vader this time, but how many times would he tolerate her not completing his tasks? Would he tolerate that at all? She didn't know, and that disturbed her. Vader seemed more and more like someone completely different than the Anakin she had known. Was the man she loved still there, underneath the armor and the icy demeanor?

Enuma's warm arms told her that it didn't matter. Perhaps she could actually allow Enuma in past the defenses, and allow them to just _**BE**_ , and be _**TOGETHER**_. It was tempting, painfully so, but Somina had so many reservations about letting anyone in that close. She knew, though, that she did not want to be alone forever, and she also knew that she truly did love Enuma. It had all been such a whirlwind, and she'd been swept up in the Twi'lek's innocent charm. Maybe it was safe. She hoped that was the case, but time alone would tell.

Days passed, and Somina anxiously awaited word from Maul as they sat in orbit around Dathomir. They had thus far managed to remain hidden from sight of any Imperial ships, and the local administrators either were unaware of or unconcerned about their presence. Six rotations just about up, Somina had all but decided that Maul was not coming, and was preparing to break orbit and find some quiet spot to recover for a bit before reporting back to Vader. Somina and Enuma had both strapped into their respective seats when a short message, text only, was received by the ship.

 _Come now._

A set of coordinates accompanied the message, and Somina knew that the time had come. She prepared the _Two-Hearts_ for landing. Enuma seemed extremely on-edge, and Somina too felt a certain stifling feeling, almost like being smothered, as they descended to the surface of Dathomir. It was unsurprising; Dathomir was a haven for the energies of the Dark Side. It was here that the Nightsisters coven had maintained their reign of terror over the planet, until they were routed and decimated by the Separatist droid army. It was one of the last places like it left that the Empire didn't keep a total stranglehold. It was a fitting place, that two disciples of the Dark Side, two Sith, would face each other once again. This time, though, Somina knew that either she or Maul was walking away from this confrontation, and not both of them.

The _Two-Hearts_ set down on a flattened area admist large, craggy mountains, clearly a place hewn away for the sake of landing spacecraft. The terrain was mainly barren rock, with only a light smattering of scrub vegetation to remind anyone that there was any sort of life here. Not far from the landing platform was a small, walled village. Somina had looked up some information about this place during descent, and discovered that the male Zabraks of the Nightbrothers clan presided over this town, but they themselves had answered to the Nightsisters on the other side of the planet. Now, with the destruction of the Nightsisters, the males had built the once-meager town into more of a stronghold, and would occasionally raid smaller villages from there. There was no sign of anyone waiting for her arrival, though, and even the stronghold seemed curiously empty. _Where would they have gone?_ Somina had to wonder, quietly.

Somina bid Enuma to stay on the ship for the time being, which Enuma protested at first, but relented shortly thereafter. Somina had no intention of putting Enuma in harm's way again, and she had no idea what awaited her. The ramp lowered from the hull of the Two-Hearts with a hiss, and a very cautious Darth Somina walked out, her senses tuned as sharply as they could possibly be, and her hands standing at the ready, near the hilts of her two lightsabers.

"You won't need those, Ahsoka."

A familiar, if older, voice greeted her as she descended from the ramp onto the rocky surface. She looked around, but found nothing. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, but no one stood within her sight. Clearly, someone was skilled in the use of the Force, but the voice wasn't Maul's. She knew it from somewhere, though, but couldn't quite remember.

A hooded figure seemingly appeared from the shadows of the large boulders that stood near the landing platform. He was tall, but clearly bent with injury and age. His movements were not that of a feeble old man, however, and he moved with power and purpose. The man stopped a few meters from Somina, and though she could not see his eyes, she knew his eyes were firmly locked on her. He radiated strength, something she would not have expected from merely looking at him. An unkempt gray beard surrounded a snarl, and she knew the man was not happy to see her.

"So many fell. Most were slaughtered, first by the clones, then by Vader's Inquisitors. Anyone who had kept the ideals of the order were either cut down where they stood, or were consumed by the Dark Side. But you…I would have never thought I would see YOU stand before me as a Sith." The man's displeasure was tempered with profound disappointment, and even sadness. Somina could not identify him, but she somehow _knew_ him.

"If you know me, then you know I left the Jedi order after _**THEY**_ turned their backs on _**ME**_. I was _ **INNOCENT**_ , and they practically handed me over to Tarkin! I promised myself that I would never allow myself to be put in that position again, and my new skills will ensure that! Who the hell are you, anyway, to be saddened by my ascension?" Somina's rage came boiling up from deep within her, ready to strike down this insolent stranger. She held her anger in check, though, until she knew more about her opponent.

The hooded man scoffed loudly at Somina, and the corner of his mouth turned slightly upward. "Ascension? Youngling, at your finest you were no match for me. What makes you think I'm afraid of you now?"

"Jedi foolishness." Somina drew both sabers, clicking them to life with a snap and a hiss. "You arrogantly assume you're more than capable of striking down anyone that opposes you, but yet you couldn't defeat a _**POLITICIAN!**_ " Her rage was nearly overflowing, but she had to wait. She would not start a confrontation with an unknown adversary. To do so was beyond foolish; it was suicidal.

The hooded man laughed, clearly amused by Somina's display of Sith virtue. "No greater zealot than a convert. Very well, Ahsoka. You want a fight, let's fight."

With one fluid movement, the man pushed aside the cloak he was wearing, took hold of the lightsaber hanging from his belt, and snapped it to life. The bright purple blade lit up the surrounding area, as well as Somina's dumbfounded face.

"W…Windu?"

The man almost imperceptibly waved his left hand, and Somina's sabers flew from her hands, shutting down and flying a few meters behind her. Somina quickly turned to watch them fly, and then immediately snapped her head back around to see the hooded man slide the hood off, revealing the weathered and unkempt face of Mace Windu, barely recognizable underneath a thick, unkempt beard and shoulder-length, equally messy hair.

"You know, everywhere I've gone, more people know the blade than know me. Isn't that something?" Windu's genial smirk made Somina's blood boil, but she had to accept that he was right. At her prime, she would have been no match for a Jedi Master like Mace Windu. He would slice her into ribbons if he was even at a fraction of his former skill. "Now, we don't have to do this, Ahsoka. I know you've hit a rough patch, believe me, I understand. But I need you to listen to me for a bit. I have no desire to fight you. Besides…" Windu shut down the lightsaber, and grinned at Somina once again. "…we both know how that would go."

Scornful and embarrassed at being so easily disarmed, Somina fought to keep her anger in check. She knew Mace Windu to be, at the very least, an honorable foe if not a potential ally. Still, she wondered if he really was as powerful as he had been during the last days of the Republic. The years had clearly been unkind to him; he seemed almost like a hermit, unkempt and shaggy. He appeared very different from the clean-shaven Jedi Master she'd known before. There was something else, as well, something that she'd never sensed from him before, and it was puzzling and thrilling at the same time.

She sensed the touch of the Dark Side on him.

The familiar energies of the Dark Side of the Force, though not in as great a concentration as within her, were quite visibly present in Mace Windu. He, who had criticized her for her 'fall', seemed to have taken as much of a tumble as she. She found herself smirking as well. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's had a fall."

Windu hung the lightsaber back on his belt, and closed the cloak around himself again. "Damn Dathomir nights, it gets awfully cold. To answer the question that I'm almost certainly guessing you'll ask next, no, I don't consider myself a Jedi any more. I've had to resort to some pretty desperate acts just to stay alive and one step ahead of the Empire. Like you, I have found that the Dark Side has its uses. Unlike you, I haven't given myself over to it, or to another master. I live, I keep on the move, and I do what I have to to keep it that way. Like many of us, I went into hiding after the clones turned on us. I haven't been in touch with any of the others since then, except once or twice when I happened to stumble across one or the other. There aren't many Jedi left, and fewer even that would think of themselves as such."

Somina, irritated but in no danger of boiling over, raised an eyebrow contemptuously. "So what's your point, old man?"

Windu shot a glare at Somina that penetrated with more ease than his lightsaber would have. "My point…YOUNGLING…is that I happen to be putting together a plan to stop the tyranny of the Sith, and overthrow the Empire. I am approaching you because I know deep down, somewhere in that lost young woman, Ahsoka Tano still lives, and would agree that this cause is just."

"I _**AM**_ Sith." Somina stated, emphatically.

"Whatever." Windu's dismissiveness made Somina's rage flare up again, and this time, she wasn't so keen to control it. "I have a few allies here and there, some you might even know, but the one thing I don't have is an in-road to the Emperor's inner circle. That is, until I found out about your new apprenticeship under Vader." Windu came close to Somina, uncomfortably close, and his eyes tore through her as they always had before. "You do know who Vader is, or more correctly, was, don't you?"

Somina's eyes lowered to the ground, and Windu knew that she did.

"I was there, when he turned. I had Palpatine beaten. I was about to end the entire conflict with the Sith, the Separatists, all of it was about to be over. Then your old master stepped in, attacked me from behind, like a coward, and knocked me off balance. I flew out of the window of the Chancellor's office, lucky enough to be able to steer my fall somewhat to land on a nearby ship that was climbing. I was injured, badly, and missing my hand, but I was alive, and that was enough in that moment."

Somina was dumbstruck. She wouldn't have thought of Anakin attacking like that, backstabbing like a coward, but it still made sense, from what rumors had trickled out about Mace Windu's alleged demise. She would remember this, but keep her knowledge secret from her master. She wanted to see how this played out.

"Essentially, I got sick of these nerf-herdin' Sith cuttin' off nerf-herdin' hands."

Somina couldn't help but laugh at the brevity from someone who'd always been so intense, so serious, as Mace Windu always seemed to be. He seemed different, less intense and yet more focused, and he seemed to have developed a sense of humor. Maybe he wasn't so bad, after all. They'd never really interacted much during her time as a Jedi. He'd presided over her testing, as all Jedi Masters did, he had taken some interest during her trials, but for the most part they really didn't know each other, or particularly care to.

Now, any ally could be the best one. Or the worst one. Somina was wary of trust these days.

"Ahsoka…or whatever Vader calls you now…if there's a way to save him, any at all, it can't happen until the Emperor is dealt with. Help us, please. Help us stop Palpatine, and we'll do everything we can to help you save Vader."

Somina had a choice to make, and this was more of a trial than anything she'd ever faced as a Jedi. On the one hand, she had her loyalty to Vader, borne of the love she held in her heart for Anakin Skywalker, and her desire to become stronger, more able to protect those she cares about, ones like Enuma. On the other hand, Vader claimed to be plotting against Palpatine anyway, so wasn't like she was going to actually _**BETRAY**_ Vader. Still, her choice would have long-term repercussions, and she needed to choose right.

Either way, both sides wanted the Emperor out of the picture, so in truth, there really was only one choice Somina could make.

"Alright. I have two conditions, though."

"Name them." Windu genuinely sounded pleased, and willing to accommodate her.

"First, my name is Darth Somina, and I would appreciate you using it. Agreeing to help you is not agreeing to abandon my path. Secondly, I have a…companion…that needs to be kept safe. If you can protect her and keep her from all harm, then I will assist you however I can."

"How about I just use 'Somina', and your girlfriend will be safe with us, and you have my word on that."

"How do you…?" Somina was dumbstruck yet again. How could Windu have known about Enuma?

Windu pulled the hood back over his head with a grin and an amused laugh. "Maul's with us, and even he can see two people who are denying they're in love. I'll be in touch, Somina."

Windu walked off, disappearing into the shadows that he'd come from. Somina stood there, jaw agape, unable to process what she'd just experienced. She extended her hands out, reaching out with the Force, and pulled her lightsabers back to her hands. She hung them on her belt, and trudged back up the ramp and into the _Two-Hearts_.

Somina wearily dropped into the command seat in the cockpit, and with one hand, fumbled with the restraint straps, trying to get strapped in for take-off. She was still stunned by the day's events, and with so many revelations being shown to her, her mind simply needed to shut down. She punched a few coordinates into the navigational computer, and lifted the ship off the surface of Dathomir.

Enuma turned and smiled at Somina. "Is everything alright, beloved?"

Somina, her eyes not turning away from the stars emerging from the glow of the planet below, spoke wearily. "Yes, Enuma. I'm fine. The galaxy just got a lot more complicated, though, more so than I thought possible."

Enuma's cheery tone didn't relent as it battered against Somina's malaise. "Well, beloved, we would not want our life together to be boring, would we?"

Somina turned her head, and smiled back at the Twi'lek and her infectious love of life. "No, I imagine not." Somina turned her attention back to the stars before her, the infinite sea of possibilities, and smiled even wider. "I don't know what's in our future, but I can promise you that it will most assuredly not be boring."

The _Two-Hearts_ lurched into hyperspace, and was gone. Somina's past had come to a close, and an uncertain future was beginning.

The story of Darth Somina is just beginning.


End file.
